Bad Romance
by AC Crews
Summary: When Arianne's parents died in a car accident & her brother left disabled, he puts her on a revenge plot against WWE's Randy Orton whom he blames for what happened. Can true love come out of hate or is it doomed from the start to a BAD ROMANCE? Rated:T-M
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_"I made it Joseph. I'm in! Tomorrow, I'm joining the team and we could finally get the plan going. _

_You're going to be so proud of me, Joseph. I'm going to do everything I can to give justice to what happened to you and our parents. _

_He's going to pay. I'm going to make him pay. I'm going to bring him down."_

_Arianne_

* * *

><p>She's been sitting in front of her laptop for some time, reading that email she sent her brother a month ago. And it frustrates her that up to now she has not done what she's promised him.<p>

She didn't think it was going to be so hard. The politics at her job is just so severe and she just can't get a break to get to a position where she can actually do something. But her resolve is absolute.

She will have her revenge no matter what.

* * *

><p>It was one dark night in August 2008. Arianna's brother, Joseph, and their parents were coming home late. Their parents picked Joseph up from a rehab facility from the next city. He wasn't really supposed to be discharged yet, but he got in some kind of trouble so he was forcibly discharged.<p>

They were in a car, and Edward, their father was cursing the hell out of him. Joseph wasn't having any of it though. Things got heated and Edward and they scuffled a little.

In his anger, Edward didn't realize he was already over speeding at sixty-five miles per hour, and also because there were no other vehicle on the road.

They were driving on a steep hill when suddenly a motorbike appeared in front of their car at a bend and he had to turn sharply. Edward lost control of the vehicle trying to avert the biker.

The car tumbled over and over until it hit a tree at the bottom of a pit.  
>The next thing Joseph knew, he was in a hospital with both his legs cut off from the knee down. His parents died on impact at the accident.<p>

The guy riding the bike was a professional wrestler by the name of Randy Orton, who works for the WWE. Apparently, he came off the accident with only a few bruises and a re-injured collarbone after getting thrown off his bike and bouncing off the pavement, and into a ditch.

Joseph loathed that fact. He felt it wasn't fair that he had to lose both his legs while the other guy barely had a scratch on him.

Arianne was working as an executive producer's assistant in Miami when the news reached her. She immediately quit her job to help and take care of Joseph. For some weeks, it had been really hard because Joseph never really liked her. She was adopted and Joseph was the real son.

Frankly he blames her for his addiction. It was because their parents always have viewed her as the perfect child, the perfect daughter. She was a sweet, nice, respectful and beautiful daughter. She always had the best grades, and always lauded for her achievements at school by her teachers and fellow students alike. She's gotten all sorts of awards academically as well as in the arts. Everyone thought she'd be a great actress, but she was more into behind the scenes stuff like directing, and creative writing.

Joseph has grown jealous of her through the years because their parents compare them to each other a lot. He was always the black sheep ever since he understood things. He even hated that his parents sent her to an expensive university, because he didn't even get a chance to go since he failed all the entrance examination he took.

Arianne was just so grateful to her adopted parents that even though she knew Joseph hates her, she still came and took care of him. He made her life difficult.

Until one day he told her of his plans to take revenge on the guy he blames for what happened to him and their parents. He told her a version of the accident to make her believe that the biker was at fault.

He banked on her weakness, her love for their parents, and coerced her into going along with his plan. Arianne was reluctant at first; she didn't want to do it. But Joseph said that it was the only way he could ever accept her and let him into his life.

He was the only family she has left, so she agreed.

And so it was. She applied for a job to be a part of the WWE Creative Team, and lucky enough she was hired almost immediately.

The job required willingness to travel across the country and overseas, so it meant travelling with the TV crew and the wrestlers themselves.

It was the perfect job for her. She had background on TV production, and she graduated with a degree on Creative Writing.

Unfortunately for her, in the first couple of months, she was confined at the New York Headquarters. This frustrated her and Joseph both. But she didn't give up. She wrote up potential storylines after storylines to get the attention of her quarry.

Until one day, fate stepped in.

* * *

><p><em><strong>WWE HQ Stamford CT November 1, 2008<strong>_

"I heard DiBiase's coming back." Randy said, "I like the dude, I think he should be in Legacy with me and Cody. Actually, I think the three of us would work better…not really much into Manu and Snuka…they're…not Legacy material…"

He was talking to one of the writers assigned to write for him, Mark, while walking. The guy was a nervous wreck when talking to him. Not to mention he's like spoon-feeding him ideas on how to write his character, and which direction his storylines are gonna take.

"Um, okay, sir." Mark said, taking notes. "I think that's a great idea."

Mark was fumbling around in his bag and accidentally dropped some papers and a couple of folders from his briefcase. Randy helped him pick up some of his stuff. Then he picked up a folder he saw his name on and read it.

It was one of Arianne's propositions for a storyline involving him and the whole McMahon family. He only read a couple of pages but he was impressed.

"Oh, can you give me that back, please Mr. Orton." Mark said when he saw him reading it.

"Who wrote this?" He asked.

"It's just someone from the New York Headquarters…a new girl, ah…Arianne Carter, if I remember correctly…just got hired a couple months ago." Mark said, "She keeps sending them to me, they're not even half good…I didn't even read them."

"How did you know they're not half good then if you didn't read them?" Randy asked. Mark couldn't answer. It's like he was afraid to give the wrong answer. "You know what? I think I'll keep these."

* * *

><p>"Come on, you gotta admit, it's good." Randy told Vince.<p>

"Well, yeah, I admit." Vince said, while reading. "It's actually very good. Who came up with this? Mark?"

"Hell no! That dude can't possibly come up with this stuff." Randy said. "It's a new girl at the New York office. Something Carter, I don't remember."

"All right, well, I think we should call her up to come on tour with the crew." Vince said, "We could use her talents better. I'll tell Stephanie about this."

"Good, good. Thank you, sir." Randy said. He stood up to go. "Oh and one other thing…since I sort of found her. I think she should write for me. I'm done with Mark, seriously. That dude…that dude's just not working for me."

"Fair enough." Vince said. "I'll see what I can do. She has to be trained first."

* * *

><p>It only took a week after that when she was called to go on tour with the Raw crew. She wasn't immediately assigned to write for Randy though.<p>

Stephanie assigned her to the team that write for the mid-card guys for a while. They couldn't just put her on the top stars writing team just yet.

That was fine with her. She understood that in every job, you have to prove yourself worthy of a position that you desire.

So for the moment, she was content. For the next few weeks she had been watching Randy from afar, observing him, learning things about him.

He didn't seem all that mean outside off camera. She thought he was pretty okay, kind of quiet, but he does mingle with the others, joking around and stuff. Who would think he's actually friends with Santino? Everybody seems to respect him backstage as well.

She used all the information half the time into writing better and deeper storylines for him even though she's not supposed to. And half the time, she's conjuring up plans on how to take the man she blames for her adopted parents' death and Joseph's misfortunes down.

And the first step is to get close to him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

.

.

"Check it out, It's _**Mary**_." Hawkins said to Ryder.

"Oh yeah, the new girl." Ryder said upon seeing who Hawkins was talking about. "Hey, Mary full of grace!"

It was Arianne, and she came in with a couple of the seamstresses that she'd made friends with. Ryder and Hawkins have been calling her that for as long as she can remember while working there. So when she heard them call her Mary, she shot them a sharp look and rolled her eyes at them and went on her way.

They were in a restaurant they, along with all the Superstars and crew frequently stop at after a show before driving or flying to the next city. It was a Supershow, meaning all three brands—Raw, Smackdown, and ECW, where there and usually, they close out the whole restaurant to everyone else. It was already late anyway, so there won't be that many customers coming in.

On the table next to Ryder and Hawkins were the motley crew of John Cena, Kennedy, Santino, and Randy Orton. They overheard what they were saying.

"I thought her name is Arianne Carter?" Santino said. "I didn't know the writers have to change their names also."

They laughed at him, thinking he was joking.

"I swear Santino, sometimes I don't know whether you're being funny or you're serious." John said.

"But I am serious." He said.

They paused for a while, trying to see if he really was serious. When they realized he was, they laughed even more until Edge came.

"What's funny?"

"Santino doesn't know why your clones are calling the new girl _**Mary**_." John told Edge.

"Seriously?" Edge said. "Dude, who are you riding with and why do you not know this?"

"I ride with Orton." Santino said, "He doesn't talk much, he just laughs at me."

"Oh, I see!" Edge said, patting Randy at the back. "I see why he didn't tell you."

John got what Edge was saying. "Randy here was the best in _the game_…until he got married."

Randy just gave a bored smile and shook his head, and continued eating.

"What game is that?"Santino asked. "And I still don't understand why they are calling her Mary instead of Arianne."

Kennedy went and explained. "Okay, listen, they're calling her Mary because she's new."

"Fresh meat." Edge completed, to drive the point more directly. "From the Virgin Mary…you know, untouched, unmarked, so that's why it's Mary."

"I see." Santino said, "So they call her Mary because she's _virgin_!"

John laughed, "No! We don't know that, do we?" He said, "It's just a name."

"I still don't understand." Santino said, "So what is the game?"

"You don't have to know, it's not important." Randy said. "Just forget about it."

"Oh, come on! Just because you're out of the game doesn't mean no one else can play it!" Kennedy said. "Randy here is a Hall of Famer when it comes to the game." He told Santino. "Too bad he's lost his touch."

"Lost my touch?" Randy said irritably. "I haven't lost my touch. I'm still better than all of you. Combined!"

"Ooh! Strong words!"Edge said, laughing. "So what are you saying?"

"Yeah, man?" Kennedy said, "You wanna play or what? Prove you're not all talk."

Randy looked at Kennedy seriously, considering what his answer will be. Behind him he could see Arianne. He looked at her up and down and he likes what he sees.

She has that demure thing going, but with the secret wild side quality about her that just whets his appetite…or maybe it's something else that's getting whet.

_She's not bad at all. _He thought. _I'd tap that if I wasn't married._He licked his lips.

"It's on." He said to Kennedy.

"You sure you wanna do this, man?" John asked.

"It's just a game." Randy said, "I just gotta make her fall, right?"

"That's right." Kennedy said. "How about you Edge?"

"Can't. I'm on Smackdown. I'll never get enough shot." Edge said. "John?"

"Nah. I'm through with that." John said, "I'm engaged!"

"Guess we're gonna have to look for competition in the locker room." Kennedy said.

"What do you mean?" Randy asked.

"We can't play the game with just the two of us." Kennedy said, "I'm calling a hit."

Randy didn't like the idea of getting everyone in the roster involved. The more people know the more chances things are going to get out of proportion, not to mention idiots like Ryder, Hawkins and God forbid, the Miz is going to get in the game.

But it was too late now. He's taken the bait and the challenge had been issued to him. He's too proud to back out of it.

"So what is this game again?" Santino asked.

Edge laughed, "It's called Rite of Passage, dude. Just sit back and enjoy."

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

"Which part of **NO**, do you not understand?" Arianne asked.

"Come on, _Mary_!" Hawkins said, "It's just a date."

He and Ryder have been following Arianne around, dogging her to pick one of them to go on a date with.

"Yeah, come on, _Mary_!" Ryder said, "Just pick one!"

"Don't you guys have anything better to do?" She asked, annoyed.

"No." The two answered at the same time.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, and continued walking down the hall.

"It's not like you can get much better dates than Curt and I, and you know it!"

She stopped walking turned around to face them. "Okay, first of all, stop calling me Mary! I have a name and it's A-ri-anne! Second, I can't pick one because you look alike and you're both idiots! And third, even if you don't look alike I still won't pick one of you because you're both not my type and you'd both still be idiots! Now. Leave. Me. Alone!"

"You heard the lady." A familiar voice from behind her said.

It was Randy, coming out of his dressing room. He leaned on the wall with his head down.

"Leave her alone." He said as he shot a look at Ryder and Hawkins.

It was one of those looks he makes in the ring when trying to intimidate his opponents. And it definitely intimidated Zack and Curt.

"O-okay, Randy…" Curt said. "W-we were just gonna do that."

"Right!" Zack said, "Bye, Mary…I mean, Arianne."

When they were out of earshot, Randy chuckled. "Works every damn time." He said.

Arianne turned around and looked at him with no expression whatsoever. He was expecting a thank you from her, but she didn't seem like she was going to say it. Actually, he can't read what she was thinking.

"You okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine." She said, her expression changing from blank to ticked off in a matter of seconds. "Although I don't really think I needed your help. I was handling the situation perfectly well, thank you very much."

And with that, she walked off. Randy was taken aback by her actions. He's never met anyone, especially not a girl, who's acted like that in front of him. He had to wonder why she would be mad at him, if she was.

So he followed her.

"Wait a minute!" He called after her.

He's a big man so he got to her in just a few quick steps. When he was right behind her, she stopped walking and turned around. They were suddenly just inches apart, but neither of them took a step back get more space. They were toe-to-toe and not one of them flinched.

"What was that all about?" Randy asked, "I just helped you out. Why are you so mad at me?"

_You're the reason my parents are dead and my brother can't walk._She thought of saying.

"Don't think I don't know about _the game_." She said instead. "I know you're in on it. So stop playing nice. We both know you're not."

Then she walked off again. This time, he didn't follow. He knows he's screwed, there's no way he can win now unless he manages somehow to salvage the situation.

He thought about who could've let her in on it. She wasn't supposed to know about it especially being the target and all. He's starting to respect her though.

_She's quite a woman._ He thought, curling his lips. _She's got some balls._

_._

* * *

><p>.<p>

"I'm doing the best I can, Joseph." Arianne said.

She's on the phone with her brother Joseph, and he's been haranguing her about the progress of their plan. She told him what has happened so far, including about being the target of the little game the guys play.

"Well, obviously it's not enough!" Joseph said on the other end. "You're not trying hard enough! You could've used that chance to get close to him, but no, you didn't do it! You didn't do anything!"

"What was I supposed to do?" She asked, goaded."Be chummy with the guy you blame for what happened to you and our parents?"

"**My**parents!" Joseph yelled. "Until you've done what I told you to do, you don't have the right to call them your parents!" Then he dropped the call.

"Hello? Joseph? Hello?" Arianne said, until she heard the dial tone.

She was so mad she wanted to throw her phone to the wall and cry at the same time. But she controlled herself. If Joseph's taught him anything in this, it's to be cold and unfeeling. She figured that helps a lot with the situation.

Then suddenly, somebody grabbed at her shoulder.

"You okay there?"

"Cody!" She said, relieved when she turned around and saw him. "You scared me!"

"Sorry." He said, "I was passing by when I saw you, I thought you looked distraught. So…"

"Distraught? Hmm…well, that wasn't the look I was going for." She sighed. "I'm okay. Thanks."

"Oh, by the way…" He reached into his bag and pulled out a Harry Potter book. "I was going to return this to you."

She lend it to him while they were waiting at the airport two weeks ago because he was bored.

"You can keep it." She said, "I don't really read books twice."

"Really? Cool." He said. He put the book back in his bag. "Oh, by the way…I heard you had an argument with Randy."

She shook her head and smiled. "Argument? That was barely and argument. I just basically told him I know about the game and that he's in on it."

"You didn't tell him I told you about it, did you?" Cody asked.

"No, of course not." She smiled, amused. Cody really looks up to Randy like a brother; that much she figured. "You're like…my only friend here…aside from the seamstresses."

He laughed, "You know, I don't get that." He said, "You're nice, how come you don't have more friends? I mean, the seamstresses are nice, but they're like…old. And you don't hang out with the other writers."

"I don't know…I guess we're weird on each our own way." She said.

Then she saw Stephanie come in, and head to her office.

"Hey, Cody, I'll talk to you later. I gotta talk to Ms. McMahon about something."

"All right." Cody said. But she was already walking off before he could finish what he was saying. "I need to change into…my gear anyway…right."

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

"Mark didn't give me anything." Stephanie said.

"But I gave it to him last week, as you requested." Arianne said. "That's why I was waiting for your response."

Arianne came to see her regarding the proposal she wrote for the storyline involving Randy with the McMahons, leading all the way to Wrestlemania as she requested.

Stephanie received her rough draft for it from her father and she liked the idea, that's why she asked for a more detailed version. Also, she wanted to see if Arianne was the real thing.

She was impressed by her qualifications and she thought there might be something special there.

"Arianne, I hate to be the one to tell you this." She said, "But it's a tough world out there, especially for us women. It's always a competition. That's just how the politics work around here. Sometimes the guy you think is going to help you ends up the guy you shouldn't trust."

She looked at Stephanie, realizing what she was saying. "Are you saying Mark's sabotaging me?"

"I don't know that." Stephanie said. "But he did give me this. And we're going with it."

She brought out a folder from her files and handed it to Arianne. She opened it and easily recognized it was her work. But she looked at the cover again and it has Mark's name on it as the writer.

"This is mine." She said, astounded. "I swear Ms. McMahon, I wrote this!"

"I know." Stephanie said, sternly. "It's your style of writing. I guess you're just gonna have to prove it to everyone else."

Stephanie stood up and walked to the door, opening it, signaling their little talk was over. Arianne stood up and followed her. Before she went out of the door though, Stephanie said something to her.

"I'm sure you'll find some _creative_way to prove it." She said. "You know…I don't like Mark either."

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

Randy went out of his dressing room to get something to eat from the buffet table, when he heard voices inside one of the rooms. He thought the voices sounded familiar, and they sound like they were arguing.

And then he heard his name mentioned, so he decided to eavesdrop.

"You and I both know that I made that proposal, Mark." Said the female voice.

"That's right. Only _you and I _know it." Mark said. "No one's going to believe you if I tell them otherwise."

Randy couldn't believe his ears when he heard who the guy is. He sounded different. More confident. More sure of himself. More evil. Not like the fumbling idiot he sounds like when he's talking with him.

"So you're just gonna live off my work and pass it off as your own?" The woman said. "You don't think anyone would suspect you?"

"No one's going to suspect me." He said, "They think I'm as clean as a whistle. Hell, I've been doing this to people like you for three years and they never found out. There's nothing you can do about it, Arianne. This is a man's world you got into. We eat your kind here. Alive."

When Randy heard her name, he got more interested. He figured their argument has something to do with his storyline with the McMahons. He's read it before, but he doesn't really meddle with how the politics in the creative team works.

Nonetheless, he was getting ready to go in there had the need arise.

"Wrong." Arianne said, calmly, which puzzled both Mark and Randy. "I can do something about it, and _you're_going to help me."

Mark chuckled, amused. "_I'm_ going to _help you_? Are you crazy?" He said, mockingly. "What makes you think I'm going to help you? You think I'm going to march into Mr. McMahons office and confess to him?"

"You're going to confess, all right!" Arianne said. "And you're also going to recommend me to take over your position."

"You've cracked!" Mark laughed. "I'm not going to do that."

"Well…I didn't say you were going to do it voluntarily." Arianne said.

She brought out something in her pocket. A small recorder, and played its content for Mark to hear himself confess to all his wrongdoings. When she finished playing the recording, she had a wry smile on her face.

"Didn't think I'd come here unarmed, did you, Mark?"

"Give that to me." Mark said, darkly. "Give it to me!"

"You scared, Mark?" She asked. "Screaming, especially in this situation, indicates fear. You scared of me now, Mark?"

"I said give it to me, bitch!"

"The only way you're going to get this is if you do as I say, and resign." Arianne said, "No one has to know, if you cooperate. You can work somewhere else. I want your job, Mark. And I'm going to take it. With or without your cooperation. Your choice."

She stood up and was about to leave when Mark suddenly tossed the table aside and went after her, screaming mad.

Suddenly, Randy popped in out of nowhere and held off Mark before he could get to Arianne.

"Security! Get in here!" He yelled.

In seconds, the room was filled with security and they escorted Mark out of there. It was strange because Mark suddenly reverted back to his old fumbling self as he was being escorted. Arianne on the other hand was still in shock at how close she was at getting attacked by Mark.

"Hey, are you okay?" Randy asked, as he approached to check up on her, rubbing her arms and shoulders. "It's gonna be fine. I heard everything. I'll back you up on this."

She looked at him, still with shock in her eyes. "You have a habit of sneaking up on people like that?" She asked.

The question was so nonconforming of her situation, that's why he was puzzled more than anything.

"I can handle it myself. I don't need your backup."

And then she walked away, nervously still, as far as he can tell.

Within the week, Mark was fired and his position was left unoccupied. But that was soon going to change.

* * *

><p>"I really think she should take the job." Randy told Hunter. "You've seen her work, she got it down to the very last detail. I mean she even root it back to Evolution."<p>

They were in the gym, running on the treadmill.  
>"Okay, I admit it's very impressive." Hunter said, "But you know the politics here, there are other people with longer tenure than her vying for the job."<p>

"I'm pretty sure she can handle it." Randy laughed, "Dare I say it was '_cerebral_'. She was awesome."

"Why are pushing so hard to get her the job?" Hunter asked, curiously.

"I'm just really impressed with this girl." Randy said, "You said it yourself, her work's impressive. I think she has a lot of potential, and I want to tap into that."

Hunter laughed impishly, "You want to _tap into that_?" He ribbed. "Or you want to _tap that_?"

Randy rolled his eyes, "It's not like that."

"Are you sure?" Hunter asked, "C'mon Randy, I've know you for what? Like six years? I've never seen you push so hard for anyone. Unless…you're not still playing the game, are you?"

"You know about that?" Randy asked.

"Of course, I know about it." Hunter said, "Why do you think it's called _the game_? I originated it…along with Shawn."

"Wow." Randy said, nodding in amazement. "I never knew of this."

"Yeah, well…I stopped playing a long time ago." Hunter said. He started to slow down on the treadmill.  
>"Heh…yeah, I don't think Steph's gonna be happy if you're still playing."<br>"No, she won't." Hunter said, "and neither will your wife if you're still playing." He added before getting off the machine.

Randy was quiet for a while. He really wasn't playing anymore. His chances were all gone either way, since Arianne clearly knows about it.

Besides, he only really did agree to play because he needed the distraction more than anything else. Other than that, he was kind of challenged when Kennedy said he'd lost his touch.

Then again, it helped make his decision to take it on a lot easier that Arianne very attractive. And then it turns out she's not only pretty, she's smart too which really made her even more attractive.

* * *

><p><strong>December 29, 2008 Monday<strong>

"You wanted to see me?"

Arianne was summoned to Stephanie's office before the show started.

"Arianne! Come in, take a seat." Stephanie said. "I'll call you back later dad." She said on the phone before putting it down.

"Thank you." She said, as she sat down. "What did you want to talk me about?"

"Nothing, really. I just want to congratulate you." Stephanie said, smiling. "I just got off the phone with the chairman and it's done. You've been promoted! You're taking over Mark's job!"

"Are you serious?" Arianne said, shocked.

She only really wanted the job because of Joseph's plan, so she hadn't expected to feel so happy about getting it. She didn't expect to feel that sense of having accomplished something. But then again, she did put a lot of heart and hard work in it.

"I'm serious." Stephanie stood up from her seat and walked over to her. Arianne stood up too. "You got the job. I really think you have the talent."

"Thank you! I don't know what to say…it's…wow." Arianne said.

And she was sincere about it too. She really was speechless.

"You don't have to say anything." Stephanie said, putting her hands over Arianne's shoulder. "Just prove to me that I made the right choice in you. I'm sure you've heard it a lot of times already in this business. It's a man's world. And there's only a few of us women who succeed."

Arianne looked at Stephanie and saw that little spark in her eyes.

"You have to be tough, tougher than all of them." Stephanie said, "Make it _your _world. I believe you can do it. I believe in you."

She didn't realize it then, but something was stirred inside of herm, giving her confidence she'd never knew. At that moment, it wasn't about Joseph's thirst for revenge anymore. It was about her and her desire to make it in the business that was awakened.

"I won't fail you." She said, "I will do my best, I'm not going to let you down."

"I know you won't." Stephanie said.

"Thank you! Thank you so much." Arianne smiled.

"You're welcome. Now go get 'em." Stephanie said, steering her to the door. "By the way, there's someone else you should thank."

"Who?"

"Randy." Stephanie said, as she opened the door. "He pushed so hard to get you the job. He was more persistent than I was."

"Oh?"

"Yes! He made calls to everybody he can, trying to convince them about you." Stephanie said, "Guess he really want you to write for him."

"I guess." Arianne said.

_That night's episode of RAW, Randy issued a challenge to his cohorts that they have to win their respective matches or they were out of Legacy. Cody won his match against CM Punk via count out. Sim Snuka won his match against Charlie Haas. And Manu lost to Matt Hardy._

Randy also lost in a four-way match against JBL, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho.

It was also the night it was revealed that it was Randy Orton that Kelly Kelly was protecting from Kane.

* * *

><p><strong>After the show…<strong>

"Come on, give me a break!" Randy said, gritting his teeth. "It's just a storyline!"

He's trying so hard not to scream, but it's sapping the energy out of him especially when he's already tired to begin with.

"There's nothing going on with me and Kelly, okay?" He said, "It's just a storyline!" He paused as perhaps the person he was talking to was speaking. "I didn't even get the script 'til tonight before the show! How was I supposes to run it over to you?"

He cocked his head in frustration as he listened to the person on the other end. "You know what, Sam? Let's just talk when I get home, alright? I'm tired and I'm getting pissed…YES! I'M GETTING F***ING PISSED!" He screamed when he couldn't control himself anymore.  
>But then he realized he did and tried to regain his composure.<p>

"Let's just…talk about this…when I get home. I'm putting the phone down now."

He didn't really wait for a response anymore and just cut the call. He paced back and forth, with each step aggravating him. He wanted to throw the phone and he almost did, but he just settled with kicking the folding chair, before sitting down on the bench.

Outside, Arianne had her ear on the door and heard all he said. She thought he must have been on the phone with his wife, and they were arguing about something that happened in the show. Most likely, the segment he had with Kelly Kelly, putting him in a storyline of some sort of an affair.

When she heard the chair crash on the wall, she squealed a little but it was loud enough for Randy to hear. He stood up and opened the door and found her sneaking away.

"Hold it!" Randy said.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**.**

Randy pulled her by the arm threw her into the room, and closed the door. She tried to fight him off, whacking at him until he let go.

"How long have you been standing there?" He asked, as she tried to regain her composure. "You were eavesdropping, weren't you?"

He looked at her, as if studying her. She looked at him right back. He is a big guy, and standing in front of him, looking up at him, he looks a whole lot taller and threatening, scary, intimidating.

But Arianne will not be intimidated.

_He kind of looks good when he's angry._ She thought, while keeping a straight face. _Actually, he looks hot when he's angry.__  
><em>  
>"No." She said. "Well…you weren't exactly keeping it down."<p>

"You have a habit of sneaking up on people?" He asked.

"Well, that makes two of us now. Doesn't it?" She bantered.

But as soon as she said it, she felt bad about it. "Look, I didn't mean to listen. I only came to…say thank you." She said, "Ms. McMahon told me how you pulled for me to get the job. I appreciate that you believe in me enough to do that. And…I also came to apologize…for the way I spoke to you before, it was disrespectful."

"Forget about it." He said.

There was no change of expression from him. He wore that intimidating expression he always does in the ring.

"Will you stop looking at me like that?" She finally said, psyched out.

"Like what?" He asked.

"Like you're going to eat me alive!" She said.

A smile suddenly lined his lips, and he lost the intimidating look. "Sorry. Force of habit."

They were both silent for a couple of seconds until she let out small laugh, and then he laughed too. He took the chair he kicked earlier and unfolded it, placed his bag on top of it, and started packing his stuff.

"So, we're cool?" He asked. "Is that all you came to tell me?"

"Yeah, we're cool…I suppose we should be if we're going to work together. I'm writing for you now, after all." She said, "Speaking of which, I thought I'd run some ideas by you first." She handed him some papers from her bag. "See if you like it."

"Take a seat." He said, as he took it. He took his bag off the chair and sat on it.

"It's basically how we're bringing DiBiase back." She said, putting another chair and sitting beside him.

"I thought we could put in a mix of mystery, not say it's him first. Sim and Manu would come to Cody and basically tell him they have this guy who wants to take you out." She explained, "Turn to page three."

He turned the page, and she pointed the part she's talking about.

"There see?" She said, "And then BOOM, Ted turns on them. You, Cody and Ted beat them up, and Legacy is formed."

He curled his lips, impressed. "I like it, I like it." He said. "Good job."

He looked at her at the same time she looked at him, and in that fraction of a moment they both felt some kind of electricity between them that caught them both off guard. Arianne was the first one to take her gaze off.

"All right…thanks." She said, standing up. "I should ah…I should go, let you pack."

"Yeah…ok." Randy said.

Arianne walked towards the door, but when she was about to turn the knob, she remembered what her last conversation with Joseph. He wants her to get as close to Randy as she can. She can't let another opportunity pass again. This was her chance.

"Um…Randy…"

"Yeah?" He stopped what he was doing.

"About earlier…I was listening." She said.

He became serious again. "How much did you hear?"

"I heard everything." She said. "Your part of the conversation, anyway. Was it your wife?"

He didn't say anything, but his eyes said everything.

"I take that as a yes?" She said. "I assume she didn't like the segment with Kelly earlier?"

He just sighed, and shook his head a little.

"You know…I think maybe I can do something about it." She said, "I mean, I could convince them to scrap that storyline. I'll think of something…"

"You'll do that?" He asked.

"Sure." She said, "I think you can do better than the arrogant self-absorbed playboy. You're past that, right?" She winked.

"I'm so past it!" He said.

"I thought so." She smiled. "Well, I'll get right on it. I…I'll go now. For real this time."

"All right." He smiled. "Thank you."

Then she went out and closed the door, but didn't leave yet. She stood there, leaning on the door with a little smile creeping in the corner of her lips.

But it wasn't because she was happy. It was more a smile of satisfaction for what she's accomplished to do.  
>Joseph will be happy to hear about thought.<p>

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

"That's good." Joseph said, darkly.

He's on the phone with Arianne, and she'd told him everything that happened in the past few weeks. He was very happy with the developments.

"Now you've earned his trust, it's time to take the next steps." He said. "You have to get closer to him."

_"What do you mean?"_Arianne asked.

"Seduce him."

_"What? I can't do that! He's married, he has a family."_She protested.

"I don't give a rat's ass about his family! He took away mine!" Joseph screamed. "You listen to me, Arianne. You're going to do what I'm telling you, or you won't have a family to go home to. It's you or him, Arianne. What do you say?"

For a while she did not respond. But she doesn't really have any choice. _"Fine, I'll do it. Tell me what you want me to do."_

"Good." Joseph said, "The best way to take out an opponent is through the heart. And that's what you're going to do. Listen closely…"

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**January 12, 2009 Monday, Sioux City, IOWA**

Arianne was sitting in the stands inside the arena by herself when Randy arrived with Cena. The stadium was still empty and the crew were still building the ramp and setting the ring for the night's show. When he saw her, he thought she looked distressed and deep in thought so he approached.

"Hey, man…I'll talk to you later." He said to John. "I gotta go talk to my writer about…something." And then he walked off.

"All right, man." John said, looking at where he was going. "I can't believe he's still playing it." He said to himself. "Oh, well…mind your own business Johnny boy." He told himself.

Arianne didn't see Randy until he was just a few feet away from her.

"Hey, you okay there?" He asked before taking a seat beside her. "You look a little…well, a lot problematic. Something I can help you with?"

"No." She said simply.

"No what? No you're not okay, or no I can't help you?"

"Both." She sighed.

"Hey, come on. Give me a chance." He said, trying to cheer her up. "Tell me what the matter is, maybe I can help you. Is someone hassling you? Want me to beat them up?"

"No…" She said. "No ones' hassling me…"

"Then what is it?"

She sighed, "It's my boyfriend." She said, as she leaned over to him, putting her head on his shoulder. "He just doesn't understand my work."

"Oh." He said, suddenly feeling awkward and out of place. "I hadn't realized you had a boyfriend."

"Have." She said. "We're still together…as far as I know anyway."

"Right." He said, "Well, what happened? I mean…if you don't mind telling."

"I just had an argument with him…" She said, "He doesn't get it. I love what I do here, I love my job. And part of that is being on the road all the time. I can't believe he's making me chose between him and my work." She sobbed.

"Hey, hey…" He put an arm around her shoulder. "Don't cry…"

"He's so unfair." She said, "How could he do that? He even accused me that maybe I have a relationship with Cody, just because he saw his number on my cell phone when we were together one time when I was home."

"Hmm…isn't that familiar?" He said almost inaudibly, but she still heard him. Although she pretended she didn't.

"Listen…that sort of thing…it happens, especially in this business. It's a concern with people we have relationships with. And I suppose it's normal for them…" He sighed, taking his arm off her, to the arm rest.

"Temptation's all around us, especially because we travel, and sometimes we get lonely and try to find distractions and relieve ourselves." he said, "Sometimes we don't pick the right way to do it. We just have to watch out and be careful. We just have to understand them and be patient with them as much as we can."

"Thanks." She said. "That actually helped."

He smiled a little, "Yeah?" He said. "I told you I can help, didn't I?"

She smiled, "Yeah, you did." She said, "I wish he was more like you…"

She sat up and looked at him at the same time he looked at her, and there was that feeling they both felt that time they were in his dressing room, and it still caught them off guard.

But this time, she didn't withdraw her gaze. She held his stare for several moments until he looked away.

"I should get backstage and prepare." He said.

"Right, okay." She said, "Sorry if I bothered you…"

"No, forget about it." He said, looking down at her. "It's not a problem. You didn't bother me at all."

"Well, thanks still."She said, still looking at him."Hey, if you need someone to talk to…you can talk to me. Maybe I can help you back."

He smiled, "See you at the back." He said.

As he was walking towards the back, he can't help but think about everything he said to Arianne.

Who was he really trying to convince—Arianne or himself? He's felt the way she has so many times he'd already lost track. It's really one of those things that exasperate him.

Although he told Arianne to have patience, he never really understood why he's the one who needs to be patient when there was never really a cause to doubt him anyway.

It's not because he's never been tempted since getting in a relationship. It's the fact that he never acted upon those temptations since he got married. It pisses him off that even after all that, his wife still seems to always find a way to doubt him.

He took a deep breath as he entered his dressing room. Ted and Cody were already there discussing what was going to happen in the show tonight. It was going to be when his stable Legacy will be formed with those two.

"Hey, man!" Ted said when he saw him.

"Hey, welcome back, man." Randy said, bumping fists with Ted. "Gonna be a big night, you guys ready?"

"Yeah, we're ready." Cody said, "Nervous, but ready."

"Good." Randy said, "Let's do this."

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**January 16, 2009**

**.**

After a couple days' rest, everyone was back for work except Arianne. Randy wanted to see how she was doing since he didn't see her after that Monday's Raw.

He'd asked a couple of the seamstresses that he knew are friends with, but they didn't know why she wasn't around. Then he remembered Cody has her mobile number so he waited for him.

"Ted! Is Cody with you?" He asked Ted when he saw him walk in.

"Yeah, he's just parking the car." Ted said, "Why?"

"Nothing, I just need to ask him something." He said.

He went to the parking lot to look for Cody. He saw him as he was taking his bags out of the compartment.

"Cody! I've been looking all over for you."

"Hey, what's up?"

"Have you heard from Arianne?" He asked, "I haven't seen her around."

"Uh, no…I just got here." Cody said.

"Yeah, obviously." He said, getting exasperated. "I meant if you know why she isn't here."

"No, she didn't tell me anything. And I haven't talked to her since last Monday before the show." Cody said, "Why? Is there something wrong?"

"Uh…" He thought about it. "No…"

It was none of his business what's happening with her personal life. So what was he so anxious about? He didn't have an answer. He just is.

"You know what? Can I just borrow your phone?"

"Sure…" Cody pulled his phone out of his pocket and gave it to Randy. "Did you forget your phone?"

"No." Randy took his phone and searched for Arianne's number in the phonebook and sent it to his phone.

"It's right here, on my pocket." He said, at the same time the message alert sounded and handed Cody back his phone. "Thanks man."

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

"It's him." Arianne said, her phone in her hand, ringing. "Do I answer?"

It was Randy that was calling her phone. Earlier she received a text message from him asking her where she was, if she was stuck at an airport, and if she was all right. She didn't reply, so that was probably why he decided to call.

"No." Joseph said, "Don't answer it. Let him worry about you…just as I predicted he would."

"I'll just turn it off." She said.

She rejected the call and turned the phone off. She was starting to feel the urge to answer it, but she knew Joseph would throw a fit if she didn't do what he told her.

He's never talked to her this calmly before since the accident and she didn't want to aggravate him.

"So what now?" She asked Joseph.

"You can leave tomorrow morning, show up at work." Joseph said, "It's time for step two."

She sighed and nodded reluctantly.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

Arianne finally showed up for work the next day. Or at least she was there physically. She didn't seem to be there mentally. She was not her herself at all, and everyone noticed.

She didn't even hang out or talk to Randy and the boys much except during the shows, right before they go out for their match …until that Monday's Raw when she went to see Randy, Cody and Ted at their dressing room to give them the night's script.

"Come in." Randy said from inside the room when he heard the knock.

"Hey, guys." She said.

"Arianne! Hey!" Randy stood up.

"He's not very excited is he?" Ted whispered to Cody.

"No, not in the very least." Cody chuckled.

"I brought your script for tonight." She smiled, trying to look happy. "Well, not really much of a script for you." She told Cody and Ted as she handed them a piece of paper.

"But we've added a segment with you and Ms. McMahon tonight." She said to Randy.

He read the script. "She's going to slap me?" He said, "Maybe I should get some anesthesia for my cheek."

She just smiled tiredly. "Good luck. This is gonna be a big night for you." She said, "You're kicking the chairman's head off."

"Aren't I lucky?" He joked.

She just sighed. "Good luck, guys." Then she left.

"Okay, what's wrong with that picture?" Randy asked.

"You noticed it too?" Cody asked.

"Noticed what?" Ted asked.

"She's like glum." Cody said, "Normally she'd have been giggling no matter how corny the jokes we throw around."

"Well, I wouldn't know." Teddy said, "I haven't spent that much time around her, I just got back."

"We'll I would. Something's wrong." Randy said, under his breath. It had been bothering him all this time, and he just had to know what the problem was.

"I'll be right back." He told Cody and Ted.

.

He went after Arianne, but she disappeared so fast after she left his dressing room so he had to look around for a bit. Finally he had to ask a few people, from Jillian to Khali, until finally Hornswoggle told him she was in the creative staff's room by herself.

When he got there, the door was slightly opened and he could see her staring at her laptop.

"Arianne…"

She closed the lid of her laptop when she heard him. "Randy? What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you." He said.

"Why? Do you need something?"

"No…I just…" He took a seat across the table from her. "I just wanted to see if everything was all right. You don't seem like yourself lately…is there a problem?"

She looked down on the table for a minute, but when she looked up at him again she just covered her face with her hands and burst out in tears. Randy instinctively went around the table to try and comfort her.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" He sat down on the chair beside her, and put a hand on her back.

She looked at him, with tears flowing from her eyes. "I broke up with him." She said, in between sobs. "He's the one who was cheating on me! That bastard!"

"A-are you sure? I mean, do you have proof?" He asked, not really sure if it was the right question.

"Of course I have proof!" She said. She opened the lid of her laptop and turned it towards him. "He took pictures of it…of him doing my best friend! He sent it to me by accident, that idiot!"

He looked at the screen and saw a picture of a man and a woman in a very compromising position. He closed the lid down and held her in his arms. He had no idea what to tell her, so he just provided her the only thing he could—a shoulder to cry on.

Outside, one crew member happened to pass by and because the door was slightly open, saw them. Luckily, John Cena happened to be passing by too and saw him before he could take a picture with his phone and scared him off.

But he got curious about what the guy was looking at so he took a peek too, and saw them. He didn't know what they were talking about and he didn't want to presume anything, so he just closed the door.

"I'm sorry." She said when she was a bit calmer. "I shouldn't be burdening you with my personal problems."

"No, no, no…it's fine. Of course you should tell me." He said, "We're friends, aren't we?"

She sat up, wiped her tears off. "We are." She smiled." She said, quietly. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it." He said, "I'm here for you if you need me. I mean that."

She looked at him straight in the eyes. "You're a good man, Orton." She said, "You're wife's lucky to have you."

He smiled a little. I wish she knew that. He thought.

"You should go." She said, "Show's about to start. You better get ready."

"Right." He stood up, "You gonna be all right?"

"Honestly? I'm not sure." She shrugged. "But I have to be. Speaking of which…can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure."

"Don't tell anyone about this." She said, "I don't want it to affect my work…and the less people know about it, the less I have to talk about it."

"It's between you and me." He said.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Thanks to everyone for reading! I would love to hear from you about what you think of the story so far. I would appreciate any feedback/comments/critiques. :)_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

.

_"Randy come quick. We're at the bar. We need your help. It's Arianne. –Cody."_

.

That was what the text message he received said, as he was about to go to sleep. He jumped out of bed quickly and got dressed after reading it, and went to the bar as quickly as he could.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

**Earlier that evening, after Raw went off air.**

.

Some of the Superstars decided to hang out at a bar, before heading back to their hotel. The Raw crew will have their day off the next day so they could afford to stay out a bit late. Ted and Cody decided to join the others to unwind.

"You sure you're not coming man?" Ted asked Randy.

They were in the parking lot, loading their bags on the car. Ted and Cody are riding together this time, while Randy rides with Santino.

"Yeah, I'm sure." He said, "You guys enjoy while you can. We're going to be busy in the coming days."

"Yeah, I'm excited about the Rumble." Cody said, "I feel like it's all going to happen after it. Legacy's gonna be big."

"Hey, guys!" Arianne said as she approached. "You joining the others?"

"Cody and I are. Randy's not."

"Why not?"She asked him.

"I have an early flight home tomorrow, I should get some sleep." Randy said, "I have to phone the wife too. Why? Are you going?"

"Yeah." She said, "I was hoping I could ride with you guys."

"Sure, you can ride with us." Cody said.

"Great!" She said.

Randy took her aside a little. "Are you sure you should go? I mean…" He whispered.

"I'm fine." She said. She knew what he meant. "I think it'd help to keep my mind of it, at least, don't you think?"

"I guess." He said.

"Come on, Arianne. Let's go." Ted called. He was already in the car, and Cody was on the driver's seat.

"I'll see you." Arianne told Randy before she hopped on the backseat.

He just nodded, and watched them roll out the parking area. "Where the hell is Santino?"

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

Finally, he got to the bar and saw Ted and Cody. They were already outside.

"Ted, Cody!" He said, "What happened? Where's Arianne?"

"We tried to get her to go, she won't come with us." Ted said, "It's bad. She's totally drunk."

"Come on, let's get her." He said.

So the three of them went back inside, and it didn't take them long to see where she was. She was sitting at the bar, with Kennedy, and a couple of other guys, in her bra.

"How about a tequila body shot?" Kennedy asked her, "That would be fun."

She laughed at him, loudly and obviously drunk. "I think you just want to lick me!"

"And what's wrong with that?" Kennedy said.

That's when Randy came and pushed Kennedy aside, before pulling Arianne out of her seat.

"Come on, it's time to go." He told her, as he put his jacket over her to cover her up. "Where's your shirt?"

"I don't know…I tossed it somewhere…" She laughed, drunkenly. "I thought you weren't coming?"

"Whoa! Hold on a second, man." Kennedy said, as he got on their way. "We were just having a little fun here, what's your problem?"

"You call that fun? Getting a girl drunk so you could get in her pants?" Randy said, "That's pathetic."

"Hey, man, come on!" Kennedy said, "All is fair in the game!"

"Do you not get it? The game's over. Back off!" Randy said. It was obvious he was trying so hard not to blow up. "Ted, Cody, let's go." He told them.

"Wait, wait, wait just a second…" Kennedy pulled Arianne away from Randy. She staggered a little to stand, being drunk.

"What the f**k you think you're doing?" Randy snapped.

"Calm down, calm down!" He said, "I think we should let her chose who she wants to go with. Let the lady choose!"

Randy doesn't like it. If she didn't want to go with Ted and Cody earlier when she wasn't too drunk, why would she want to go now?

"Arianne, listen, do you want to go with Randy…" He asked Arianne, "Or do you want to stay here…and have some fun with me!"

She giggled, "I have to pick?" She was still wobbling a little bit, but still up right at least. "You want me to pick…If I want to go with Orton…or stay here with you…and have some more fun!"

"That's right!" Kennedy said, "What's it gonna be? Huh?"

"I think…" She said, walking over to Kennedy.

"Arianne!" Randy called her. He wanted to just pick her up and get her out of there, but he knows he can't do that against her will, however compromised her will is.

She turned around at him, but still walking towards Kennedy. She put a hand on Ken's shoulder, to prop herself up right because she was losing her balance.

"I think…" She said again, "I think…I'm gonna be sick."  
>And then she just suddenly heaved all over his shoes. Everyone was too stunned to move or do anything.<p>

"What the f**k!" Kennedy reacted.

"I'm think I'm gonna go with Orton." She said, trying to catch her breath. "Sorry." She told him.

After getting some of the alcohol out of her system, unconventionally, she seemed a bit more sober. Randy just had to snicker at what happened to Kennedy. He thought he deserved it.

"Come on, Arianne, let's go." He said.

Arianne walked towards him, still a little groggy, but better than before. "Yeah, let's go."

"Hey, Orton!" Kennedy called him. "Guess you won, huh?"

He just looked at him sharply, and didn't say anything. He really wasn't playing the game anymore. He meant it when he said the game was over. But he didn't want to explain himself anymore.

He doesn't care what everyone else thinks anyway.

.

.

He held her up as they walked out of the club, and Ted and Cody helped him get Arianne to his car.

"Get in." Randy told Arianne, holding the car door open at the passenger side. "Put your seatbelt on."

"Guys, where are we taking her?"Cody asked. "I don't even know where she's staying."

"I'll take her to the hotel. She can stay in my room. Santino already left anyway." Randy said, not really thinking about what he just said. He only realized in when Ted and Cody gave him a weird look. "I'm staying with you guys." He cleared."If that's alright."

"Yeah, of course it's fine." Ted said, laughing.

So Ted and Cody got in their car, and Randy got in his.

"You ready?" He asked Arianne, putting on his seatbelt.

She didn't answer, and when he looked at her she was already asleep and still without her seatbelt on.

"Psh. I said to put the seatbelt on." He shook his head.

He reached over to put her seatbelt on, leaning over her. At the same time, she turned towards him. Their faces were centimeters apart from each other, and he couldn't help but look at her. For a moment he didn't move, just tracing her face, her soft delicate features with his eyes.

She looks prettier without her glasses on. He thought.  
>There was something that made him linger and a made him feel a sudden urge to touch her face.<p>

And he almost did but he caught himself before he could when the light from Ted and Cody's car suddenly shone on them.

He smirked, "Hmm…who would've thought you had a wild side?"

He finished putting on her seatbelt, and then he sat back on his seat before starting the engine. He got to the hotel first, so he waited for Ted and Cody so they can help him get Arianne to his room along with her stuff.

He slept at Ted and Cody's room after, on an extra mattress they had brought in. He left early the next morning to catch his flight home.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

For the next several weeks after that incident, Arianne had gotten close with the boys, especially with Randy. Randy had convinced her to ride with them, or more specifically, with him and whoever else he's riding with. She usually rides with the crew or on the equipment trailers, so it was more convenient.

She had no problem getting along with them, and they get along fine with her too. She's fun to be around, joking and laughing, sometimes bantering around. Even Randy gets to laugh because she had the most infectious laughter when laughs at Santino.

She also got to see his other sides—the side of him that nobody ever really sees. The talkative, goofy, playful side that he only shows in closed quarters and to only a few people. He's nice to kids when they meet them at the airport or in the restaurants when they eat. He doesn't talk or smile much but he signs autographs and take pictures most of the time.

He does have a grumpy side, but she actually found that adorable. He doesn't scream or anything like that, but he does sound rather condescending when he's not in the mood. She can't blame him though, she's like that herself.

Slowly and without realizing it, she was starting to feel something for him. She didn't realize that hatred she has for him before meeting him that Joseph implanted in her heart was slowly dissipating.

Of course, when a man and a woman are always seen together, it cannot be helped that rumors will start to fly around. And they were no exception.

There's a rumor going around backstage that they were having an affair. There was even a rumor that Randy had gotten her pregnant that really stemmed from when somebody saw them together in the creative staff's room, and she was crying in his arms.

Then there's the rumor that Randy is just toying with her, and he's still playing the game, trying to prove that he hasn't lost his touch.

As usual, the last ones to know about what rumors are going around are the people that are involved. They both had felt that people are talking behind their backs, but they both just shrugged it off.

They didn't even bother to know what the rumors are, because they know the truth. And the truth is, they're just good friends.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**WrestleMania weekend April 2009 Houston, Texas**

**.**

As accustomed to everyone in the company, WrestleMania has become a family affair. Everyone and their families were to be there, especially for the Hall of Fame ceremony, and the pay per view as well.

And since they're on the road all the time, especially the Superstars and Divas that are on TV every week, everyone was excited to have their families along—everyone except Arianne.

She was going to skip the whole thing but the boys convinced her to come.

Watching everyone with their families made her miss her adoptive parents, and even Joseph. And nothing made her feel it more than when Stephanie and Hunter's family arrived.

She was having breakfast by herself at the hotel, watching them a few tables away from her, and she can't help but remember all the good times with Edward and Clarisse.

"Good morning." Randy said, interrupting her thoughts. "Can I sit here?"

"Sure." She said.

He looked at what she was looking at behind him and saw Hunter's family, before sitting. "Why are you watching them?"

"Nothing…I just…I miss my parents." She said.

"Where are they? Aren't they coming?" He asked, innocuously.

She looked at him, suddenly remembering why she was there in the first place. This is the man Joseph's blaming for their parent's death right in front of her.

She was looking for that feeling of hatred inside her but she couldn't find it. There was none. She wasn't even sure if she should really blame him.

Joseph's version of what happened had a lot of holes, but she just took it at face value since he was her brother.

He looked at her, sipping his coffee and saw the look in her face as she was looking at him.

"Are you okay?" He said, "Is there something wrong?"

"Yeah…" She took her eyes off him. "I'm fine…"

"Okay…so where are your parents? Are they coming for the Hall of Fame party tomorrow?"

"No. No, they're not." She said, "They're dead. They died last August. Car crash."

"Oh, I'm sorry." He said, reaching for her hand.

She pulled her hand slowly away though. "Don't worry about it." She said.

Despite of what she said, he still felt bad for her. He figured she was watching Stephanie and Hunter with their kids because she misses her parents. He wanted to tell her something to make her feel better, but nothing was coming to him.  
>"I was in a crash last August too." Randy suddenly said.<p>

"Can you tell me what happened?" She asked. She wanted to hear what his version of what happened is.

He took a deep breath and recounted what happened that night. She listened carefully to his every word.

"It was around ten in the evening and I couldn't sleep, so I decided to go for a ride on my bike." He said. Actually, he wanted to cool off because he had another argument with his wife.

"I was going down a sharp bend on the hill, and all of a sudden there's this car speeding towards me, veering towards my lane. It had its high beams on and I couldn't see. I had no choice but to crash." He sighed, reliving what happened in his head.

"It was terrible. All these thoughts were going through my head…about Alanna… and Sam…I hit a concrete block and I got thrown off my bike. I hit the ground and bounced and rolled for like three hundred feet down the ditch…I don't even remember at what point I lost consciousness." He paused. "When I came to, the police and firemen were there already. They asked me where the guy who was in the wreck is, and I said it was me. They told me I was lucky. My bike was totaled. I was only wearing shorts and sweatshirt, and luckily a helmet. It saved my life. I would've been dead if I wasn't wearing it. I only got some cuts and bruises…and I reinjured my collarbone. But I'm lucky to be alive."

She didn't say anything for a while, picturing what he was saying in her mind. "What about the car?" She asked, "The one you almost collided with…do you know what happened to the passengers?"

"The car was a total wreck too." He said, "The investigators said it had been veering from side to side for miles before we almost crashed. It was speeding too." He paused, "Oh, yeah…there was a survivor…I forgot his name…Anyway, the cops said he had alcohol and traces of meth and cocaine in his blood. They thought he might be the driver so they took samples to test but he wasn't driving according to their findings."

When she heard him say the survivor had traces of methamphetamine, cocaine and alcohol in his blood, she felt like a huge wave just suddenly crashed over. She felt like she was drowning upon the realization of what could have possibly really happened.

Joseph never told her that one small detail. He said their parents came to get him from rehab because he was already clean and sober.

_Why didn't he tell me that?_ She asked herself. _Dad wouldn't have taken him out of rehab if he wasn't clean yet. Could they have been fighting in the car?_

It wouldn't be the first time either. He's been in rehab a couple of times already, and both times he escaped and come home. Edward would get so angry at him and they would fight, and would force him to go back to rehab.

_But why would he lie about being clean and sober…unless…_She thought. She looked at Randy, sitting in front of her, and that's when she realized something.

"It wasn't your fault…" She said.

"Well, no…" Randy said, thinking she was talking about his accident. "It was an accident. Although I guess I shouldn't have been riding my bike at that time of the night." He told her.

He noticed she looked like she was going to be sick as she looked so pale all of a sudden.

"Hey, are you okay?" He said, worriedly. "Are you feeling something wrong?"

"Good morning, peoples!" Santino said, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. "Mind if join you?"

"Don't worry about me." She told Randy. "I'm fine."

And then she got up and left. He doesn't know what to make of it, and her reaction was puzzling to him. But although she said for him not to worry; that was what he felt more than anything.

"What happened to her?" Santino asked. "I just got here."

"I don't know…" He said, "Maybe she lost her appetite when she saw you." He told, chuckling, not wanting to look too worried.

"That's not funny, Orton." Santino said.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

Joseph's phone had been ringing for the past half-hour, every few minutes, repeatedly, but he wasn't picking up. Arianne had been trying to call him.

She wanted to ask him if he really was still using drugs at the time of the accident. She wanted to know if he was telling her the truth. She doesn't want to doubt him, but Randy told her another version of what happened and it was more believable.

She also doubts herself. She's having second thoughts about what she's doing there. Was there even still a reason for her to stay there, when she doesn't believe that Randy had anything to do with her parents' death?

She felt guilt stabbing at her every fiber and she needs to know the truth from Joseph.

But Joseph couldn't pick up the phone. He doesn't even hear it ringing because he wasn't there. Not mentally, anyway. He was there in body, sitting on his wheelchair, high on drugs he bought with the money she sends him.

"Come on, Joseph!" Arianne said. "Pick up the phone, dammit."

She's already crying in frustration by then as she tried to call Joseph again for the nth time. Suddenly, someone knocked on her quickly wiped her tears off and fixed herself up, and then she opened the door.

It was Randy.

"Randy, hey." She said. "What are you doing here?"

"Well…" He saw couple of the Divas walking down the hallway, and he waited for them to pass before he spoke. "I just want to check up on you. You left so abruptly…I…I was…worried. Are you okay?"

_He's worried about me?_ She thought, surprised. _And all this time, I've been plotting revenge against him, thinking he killed my parents._

The guilt was just killing her at that very moment. She found it hard to swallow, as hard as that feeling of something stuck in her throat. She was willing herself not to cry, but her eyes just began to water. She tried to cover up and wipe it off but he already saw.

"Hey, come on…" Randy said, stepping into the room. "What's wrong?" He closed the door behind him.

He would've just stayed outside while talking to her, knowing she was alone in her room and knowing it could start another wave of gossip about them.

He would've liked to avert that, with Sam supposed to be joining him over the weekend. But he couldn't help himself. He was acting on impulse.

"It's nothing…really." Ariane said. Randy had led her to the bed and sat there with her. "I just…I just remembered my parents, while you were telling me your story. And…I could just…picture what could've happened to them." She said.

It was half true, but she couldn't very well tell him everything. "You know me…My imagination's very visual."

He relaxed a bit learning that was all it was. "That's it?" He smiled, "Jesus, Arianne, you had me worried...You're crazy!"

"I'm sorry." She said. She meant it for all the reasons she couldn't tell him too. She wiped her tears off and smiled.

"Never mind." He said, "I'm just glad you're okay. Relatively. You are a little zany." He teased. "So…you're still going with me to the Axxess right?"

"Should I?" She asked, "I mean, I don't really have any business there."

"Sure you do!" He said, "You'll be there to keep me focused, keep me calm. Some of these fans, they hate me, they're going to jeer me, throw insults at me and all that crap, so you have to be there keep me in line."

"Like, I can do that if you decide to bash everyone's faces in." She teased. "Mr. IED."

He just smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Unbelievable." Kelly said, under her breath when she and Brie finally got on the elevator.

"What is?" Brie asked.

"That woman!"

"Okay, you have to fill me in here, because I have no idea what you're talking about."

"That…Arianne!" She said, "Randy's writer. Do you know she's the one who had my storyline with him to get dropped?"

"I thought it was because Randy's wife didn't like it?" Brie said, innocuously.

"Brie, Randy's wife isn't in the creative team." She said, "And, I mean, you've heard about it, right? Those two are having an affair!"

"Well, nobody's ever really proven it. I don't know if that's true." Brie said, "I mean, there was also the rumor he got her pregnant…but she doesn't even look pregnant."

"Brie, are you on my team or hers?"

"I'm on your team, of course." Brie said.

"Good. Then believe me." She said, "I hate her. That storyline would've given me exposure…and also spend more time with Randy."

"Wait…are you saying, like…you like him?" Brie said, "Coz, that's how you sound like."

"What's not to like? He's hot." Kelly shrugged.

"But he's married." Brie said.

"Arianne doesn't seem to mind that." Kelly said.

* * *

><p><strong>April 4, 2009<strong>  
><strong>Hours before the Hall of Fame Ceremonies<strong>

Randy left his room for a while, because he was getting bored waiting for Sam to finish dressing up. He went to the bar downstairs, thinking some of the guys would be there. He found Ted and Cody there.

"Hey, guys!" He said. He smacked both of them on the back, to surprise them.

"Dude, that hurt." Ted said, while Cody just coughed.

Randy laughed, "Come on, it wasn't that hard. And I'd think you guys would've gotten used to that already."

"Not when you surprise us in an ambush!" Cody said, rubbing his chest to relieve himself from coughing, as he turned his seat around.

"What are you guys doing here anyway?" He asked.

"I'm waiting for my wife. She's still getting ready." Ted said, "You?"

"Same." Randy said, as he sat on a stool next to Cody.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile…<strong>

Samantha finally finished getting ready and went out of their room. She was waiting for the elevator when Kelly came up to her, smiling sweetly.

"Hi, Sam." She said.

"Hello." Sam said simply.

In all the times she's joined Randy on these kinds of occasions, she's never really talked to Kelly nor has Kelly ever spoken to her. Especially when she had openly expressed that she didn't like Randy going on signings with her.

"Where's Randy?" Kelly asked.

"He's waiting for me downstairs at the bar." Sam said.

Finally the elevator opened and she got in. Kelly followed her.

"You know Sam, I know you don't like me very much and I understand that." Kelly said. "I know you asked Randy to decline going on signings with me and I also know you didn't like the storyline we were supposed to have together. I understand that. It does put him in a bad light, since everyone knows he's a married man." Kelly said. "But you really have nothing to worry about. Nothing went on with me and Randy, and nothing is going to. I assure you that."

Sam relaxed a bit. Kelly seemed to be sincere enough about what she said. She supposed she could've been quick to jump into conclusions about her.

She just couldn't help but feel a little insecure about seeing Kelly with her husband. Especially when she saw their pictures together during signings and Meet and Greets. Kelly is young and beautiful. Of course, Randy had always assured her, but still.

"Thank you for telling me that." Sam said, "I appreciate it. And I apologize if you got offended with my presumptions."

"No problem." Kelly smiled. "Although…I can't say as much for Randy's writer."

"Randy's writer? You mean Mark?"

"Mark? No! Mark was fired months ago." Kelly said. "He has a new writer. Her name's Arianne."

"Hmm…He didn't tell me he's assigned a new writer." Sam said, surprised about this new information. Randy has never talked about having been assigned a new writer.

"Really? Hmm…that's odd." Kelly said. "I would assume he'd have told you since they're pretty close."

Sam looked at Kelly, "How close?" She asked. Already she was getting a bad feeling about it.

"Like, really close." Kelly said. "Don't tell him I told you. I personally don't believe it, but, they've been rumored to be having an affair. I don't think they are…but you know what they say: When there's smoke, there's fire."

"Why do women take so long to get ready?" Cody asked.

"Dude, that's just how they are." Ted said, "They just want to look beautiful for us. Nothing wrong with that."

"Well, if they're going to look as pretty as my date then you're right." Cody said, "Check her out."

Randy and Ted looked at the direction Cody was looking at, towards the elevator, and saw Arianne in a midnight blue strapless dress. She had her hair messily done up, but she looked really good.

Just the dress, not the person. Arianne's brunette.

She looked around trying to look for a familiar face anxiously.

"Date?" Ted said, "What do you mean date? You didn't even ask her out."

"Well, she doesn't have a date, and I don't either. We're going together so it's a date!" Cody explained, "Quit cramping up my style, Teddy."

"Why? You cramp up my style all the time!" Ted said.

"Whatever dude." Cody said, "Arianne! Over here!" He called her from across the room.

She finally saw them and smiled. She walked towards them quickly and stumbled on her own foot when she was only a few feet away.

Cody and Randy quickly got up from their seats and helped her up. She held on to Cody though so he got most of her weight, so Randy let go.

"You okay?" Cody asked, laughing as he helped her up.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said, laughing at herself as she skipped on one foot.

Cody helped her to a stool next to Ted, who was also laughing then because of her. She elbowed him on the arm. Randy followed close behind them.

Randy just couldn't stop staring at the curve where her neck and shoulders meet though. There's some kind of gravity that's keeping his focus there from when he helped her up.

He keeps wondering how her skin would feel like. It looks so smooth and soft and tender. He wondered how it would feel like to touch her, to smell her, to kiss her there.

"Stop laughing!" She told Ted, still laughing. "Where's my shoe?"

"Here." Randy said, seriously, looking at her. "Allow me."

Ted and Cody looked at each other, as he knelt down on one knee in front of Arianne, who felt a little uncomfortable with the sudden silence of the other two.

Randy put her foot up on his knee, holding it steady under the calf, and slipped the shoe on. Arianne had a warm feeling come over her and she blushed, yet she also felt goose bumps all over.

"There you go." He looked at her. But he didn't put her foot down yet.

"Thank you." She said, looking down at him too.

"So is this what you've been doing when you're on the road?" Sam said, suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

They all turned to her. Arianne took her foot off of Randy's knee, and he stood up. Ted and Cody stood up too.

"Or should I say; is this **who **you've been doing when you're on the road?" She said, looking at Arianne sharply and then back at Randy.

"Sam, it's not like that." Randy said. He felt rather annoyed and embarrassed.

"Samantha, hi." Arianne said, standing up and offering her hand to Sam. "I'm Arianne Carter, I write for Randy, Ted and Cody…"

"It's Mrs. Orton to you." Sam said.

"Sam, stop it." Randy said.

"What? I am your wife, so that's how she should address me." She said.

"Samantha, could you not make a scene here please?" Randy said, gritting his teeth.

"Cody, we should go." Arianne said.

She just wanted to get out of there so as not to aggravate the situation. She figured Randy was already feeling embarrassed by what happened and how his wife was acting.

"We're taking the shuttle, aren't we?"

"Yeah, we are." Cody said, getting her hint. "Let's go."

They all rode on the shuttle, with Arianne sitting between Cody and Dustin—or Goldust, however you want to call him, laughing all the while. Ted and his wife were behind them laughing along, with Arianne's infectious laughter. And Randy and his wife sat a couple of rows back on the other side of the bus, whispering at each other, in gritted teeth.

"Why do you always have to do this, Sam?" Randy said, "Why do you always have to embarrass me like that in front of other people?"

"Embarrass? I embarrass you?" Sam said, "And kneeling in front of that girl is not embarrassing?"

"Come on, Sam! Do you have to make a big deal of everything?" Randy said. "I was helping her put her shoe on!"

"Oh is that what it is?" She asked, sarcastically. "Coz I think I call that flirting. **She's flirting** with you and you **like it!**"

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't I? Is that why you never mentioned to me that you have a new writer?"

"This is exactly why I didn't tell you! Because I knew you'd over react this way!" Randy said, "You know what? You should be happy the **shoe's the only thing I'm slipping on her **and not anything else!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just give it a break, all right? Damn it!" Randy said. "Can we just get through this night peacefully? Or at least act like we're getting along?"

"Fine!" She said. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just shut up, all right?"

"Fine!"

* * *

><p><strong>After the HOF ceremony, at the after party…<strong>

"I almost fell face first on the floor." Arianne laughed. "The shoes are just too much higher than what I usually wear."

She's telling Stephanie what happened to her earlier. It was Stephanie who told her to buy the shoes at the hotel's boutique. She didn't have anything to wear with the dress because it was very last minute, as she wasn't even planning to come to the event.

"Oh my god!" Stephanie laughed. "But you didn't hurt yourself, did you?"

"No, I'm fine." She said, "My ankle hurts a little but I'll live."

"Excuse me." Hunter said, as he approached. "I would like to dance with my lovely wife, if I may?" He said to Stephanie.

Stephanie looked adoringly at him, smiling. "Of course you may." She told him. "Excuse us, Arianne."

Arianne smiled and watched Hunter whisked Stephanie away to the dance floor. At the corner of her eyes, she saw Randy sitting by a table across the dance floor from her.

He was looking at her so she gave him a little wave. He smiled and waved back. Somehow she got the vibe that he wasn't having fun, and she wanted to come over and talk to him.

But then, there was Sam who had just gotten back from the ladies room.

"Hey, you want to dance?" Cody asked. "I mean, if you can keep up of course."

"Ah, is that a challenge Mr. Rhodes?" She bantered, "You think you have an advantage just because my ankle hurts a little?"

"Well…I'm supposed to be a heel, so I have to take advantage of an opponent's weakness." He said.

"Oh yeah?" She said, "Let's see what you got!"

* * *

><p><strong>The next day, a quarter before three in the morning…<strong>

After a day of partying, Arianne couldn't sleep even though she was really tired. All day she pretended like nothing was wrong, smiling and laughing, and joking around with her friends.

But inside, something was still bothering her. She hasn't talked to Joseph since Randy told him his version the other day. She needed to hear from him. She needed to have something to believe in him.

She went down to the bar and got something to drink. It was a good thing the bar was open till 3AM, even though the restaurant was closed already or she would've gone out.

She already had a few throughout the night, so she was already getting a bit tipsy after just one glass of whisky. She put her elbows up on the counter, and covered her face as she closed her eyes for a little bit, feeling the effects of the drink.

"Hey."

A familiar voice said from behind her, laying a warm hand on her back. She looked up and saw him take a seat beside her.

"Randy!" She said, "What are you doing here at this hour?" She smiled, "Does your wife know where you are?"

"She's sleeping." Randy said, shooting her a look. He knows a jibe when he hears one. "I couldn't sleep."

"Hmm…that makes two of us." She pushed her glass towards him. "I can't drink anymore."

He took the glass and finished it. The bar was about to close and the bartender was already cleaning up, just waiting for them to leave.

"Let's sit over there." He said after, gesturing towards a table near the piano at the far end of the restaurant.

It was the only part that had a light on above it and everywhere else was dark. She stood up and he held out his hand for her to hold, since it was dark and she might trip, knowing she was a little bit tipsy. He guided her across the room until they got to the table.

They sat across each other on the table and just talked about random stuff about the party. Mostly it was Arianne who talked, and Randy just listened.

He liked the sound of her voice. It was soft and soothing when she talks. But he likes it most when she laughs.

"Did you enjoy it though?" Randy asked. "You had a good time?"

"Yeah, I did. It was a lot of fun. I'm glad I stayed." She said, "Although my one regret is I didn't get to dance with you…actually, I didn't even see you dance at all."

"I didn't dance." He said.

"You didn't?" She said, "What's the matter you can't dance?"

"I can dance." Randy said, defensively. "I just didn't want to."

"Oh, really?" She mocked, curling her lips. "I think Randy Orton can't dance."

"Of course I can!" He said, with an eyebrow up. "If there's music here I'd show you."

"I have an I-pod right here." Arianne said, as she pulled out her I-pod from her pocket. "We can share the ear phones!"

"You're serious?" Randy asked, incredulously.

"Yeah!" She said, standing up and pulling his arm. "Come on, get up!" He stood up reluctantly, shaking his head, but smiling. "Okay, now, let's see what I got here…"

"Just pick something random." He said, "I can dance on anything."

"Oh, yeah?" She laughed. "Okay, I'll scroll, you say stop."

She scrolled on the playlist and tapped on a random song when he said stop, and pressed play.

"What song is it?" He asked.

"What does it matter? You said you can dance on anything." She teased.

She put one of the earphones on her ear, and Randy put the other on his. He laughed when he heard what song it was.

_(It was Selena's "I Could Fall In Love)_

"You have this on your I-Pod?" He asked, laughing. "This is so cheesy!"

"I have varied tastes in music!" She defended, "Just shut up and dance!"

"Okay!" He said, putting his hands up in surrender.

He took her hand and placed his other hand on her waist, and they began to move to the music. Arianne was impressed at how smoothly he moves. Who would've thought he could dance like he does? He was even leading her.

"Not bad, Mr. Orton." She said, "I'm impressed."

He smiled, "I told you, didn't I?"

Arianne suddenly felt the effects of alcohol come over her again, and lost her balance a bit, so Randy had to slip his arms around her waist and hold her closer.

"You okay?" He looked at her.

She laughed, at her clumsiness. "I'm okay! I'm just…a little tipsy."

When she looked at him he was so close, and as much as she wanted to look away, she couldn't. His eyes held her gaze. She's never seen them so mellow, like how he's looking at her now. She could feel her heart beat faster in her chest.

He couldn't take his eyes off her, either. Maybe it was the soft warm lights, he doesn't know, but he couldn't get over how beautiful she looks right at that moment. She's more beautiful than he'd ever seen, without her glasses and without any make up on, just the soft blush on her cheeks that was probably because of the alcohol.

He placed her arms around his shoulders as they continue to move slowly. And even though somehow she felt scared of what strange thing she was feeling at that moment, she didn't protest, and allowed him to hold her.

The song was already over and the device had stopped playing, but they were still standing there, with their arms around one another, looking at each other.

She could feel his hard body under his clothes, and his skin was warm where he was touching her. She was still looking into his eyes, trying to find something there, not knowing what exactly.

He could feel her heartbeat in her soft, ample breasts pressing against his body. He could feel her warm breath from her mouth. Her mouth. Her lips. He looked at them, and they seem so sweet, so inviting, making him want to have a taste.

"I-I should…" Arianne started saying.

But she couldn't say anything more as Randy unexpectedly and swiftly claimed her mouth. Instinctively, she tried to push him back and squirm away, but he was strong and his lips and tongue are skilled. He held her firmly in his arms that she couldn't move, and his kiss made her weak.

In seconds, she was responding to him. She allowed him to explore her mouth, after he tasted her lips. She almost lost control with how good he was making her feel, as his warm hands traversed her body.

Until she remembered Joseph.

With all her might, or however much strength she could gather, she pulled herself away from him. That seemed to break what almost felt like a trance that surrounded both of them. He looked at her wide-eyed, realizing what he's done.

"I-I'm…" Randy tried to say.

"I have to go." Arianne said, as she quickly ran away.

"Arianne, wait!" He called after her.

But she was already out the door. He stood there, thinking about what just happened. Why did he do that? What was he thinking?

Why doesn't he feel guilty? Or regretful?

It was wrong. He knows that.

So, why does he want more?

* * *

><p>As Randy and Arianne lay on their own beds that night, in their own bedrooms, neither of them could sleep. Both of them tossed and turned through the night.<p>

Arianne couldn't stop thinking about what happened down at the empty restaurant. How good she felt when he touched her, when he held her, when he kissed her.

But along with that comes doubt. Was she the one who instigated it? Was she subconsciously still going through with Joseph's plan to bringing Randy down? Was he seducing him, as Joseph ordered her to do?

"I have to talk to Joseph." She thought, "I have to know the truth so I can stop with this madness."

But does she really want to? Does she really want to stop this madness if it means she has to leave and let go of Randy?

Can she do that? Especially now that she thinks she's having some really strong feelings for him that she can't even begin to start fighting?

* * *

><p><em>AN: Hi, readers! I would love to hear from you about what you think of the story so far. By the way, I am also posting this story on my livejournal, where I can put pictures and videos that can help visualize stuff in the story (like in this chapter, you can see Arianne's dress and listen to the song). So if you want see that, just go to my profile and click on my homepage. Thanks a lot!_

_As usual, critiques/feedbacks of any kind are most definitely welcome. :)_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

.

.

The next day, just before lunch, Randy went to see Arianne at her suite to apologize for what happened the night before. He had to wait until Sam was in the bathroom before he went. It was one of the female staff that Arianne was sharing the room with that opened the door.

"Mr. Orton, good morning." She said.

"Morning…is ah…Arianne there?" He asked.

"No. She's not here." She said, "She left this morning. She said she's taking the rest of the week off."

"But the pay-per-view's tonight. Why would she leave?" He asked. He's thinking she must've gotten mad at him for what he did, that's why she left so abruptly.

"She said it was an emergency." She said, "She'll be back next week."

"Did she say what kind of emergency?"

"No, she didn't."

"All right…" He said, "Thank you."

On his way back to his room, he thought of calling or messaging Arianne, but decided not to in the end. If it was indeed an emergency, then he wasn't really in a position to ask her what it was about.

And if it wasn't an emergency, and she was just mad at him, then it would be better if he give her her space.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

Arianne went straight to Joseph's place, and found all his paraphernalia lying around his room since he wasn't expecting her.

**"You lying bastard!"**Arianne screamed at Joseph.

She tried to slap him, but even in his condition he was stronger than her and he was able to stop her. She pushed her to the floor as she cried in a mix of anger and disappointment.

**"What the f**k do you think you're doing?"**He screamed at her.

"You lied to me!" She stood up. "You lied to me about everything!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You lied to me about what happened! Randy told me everything!" She said, "He told me exactly what happened and he told me the police found you had traces of methamphetamine, cocaine and alcohol! Why didn't you tell me that?"

She tried to hit him again, but again Joseph pushed her off.

"So what if I didn't?" He said angrily. "You're gonna believe what that bastard told you, huh Arianne? You're gonna believe him more than me? What? _Is he screwing you now_? Huh, bitch?"

Arianne suddenly felt her anger rise, and she felt the utmost contempt towards Joseph at that very moment. It wasn't so much that she's proven Joseph lied to her and still lying to her.

It's the fact that he sent her to do something that was against her will to begin with and it turns out to be baseless. He has sent her to hurt Randy, and she couldn't accept that. She couldn't control her anger anymore

**"Shut your mouth!"**She launched at him, and this time she was successful.

Joseph fell of his wheelchair and they struggled on the floor. She got on top of him, and held him by the collar.

"**Get off me**!" Joseph screamed, **"Get off me you f**king sl*t!"**

She slapped him really hard, and didn't let go of him. "You listen to me! You've lied to me for the last time! If there's anyone to blame for what happened to our parents, it's you, you bastard! You killed your own parents and you're blaming someone else for it! You no good son of a bitch! You did this to yourself!" She screamed at him, her whole body shaking in anger.

She wants to hurt him some more, but she controlled herself.

"Randy had nothing to do with it. You killed your parents. It's your fault. You killed the only two people who ever loved you." She whispered right in his ear.

Then she stood up. "You're a bad person Joseph. You deserve to be alone. That's your hell, and that's what you're going to get. I'm leaving and I'm not coming back."

She looked at him in his dilapidated state, lying on the floor like that. He probably won't be able to get back on his wheelchair by himself. She felt a little sorry for him, but she was too angry to show compassion.

"I'm through with you Joseph." She said, "I'm through getting used by you."

She started to walk towards the door, and was about to get out, but not before Joseph had to something to say.

"We're the same now, Arianne." Joseph said, laughing. "If I'm alone then you are too." He said.

He propped himself up with his elbows just so he can look at her, standing with her back to him by the door.

"I'm the closest to a family you have left." He told her.

"What's the difference?" She said, softly. "You were never a brother to me anyway."

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

After she left Joseph's place, she went to a motel to spend the night. She could've gone to any of her friends but she didn't want to have to explain what happened so she chose to be alone.

There, in her solitude, she had time to think things over.  
>Now that she's proven that it was all one big lie, she suddenly felt so alone and without purpose.<p>

What Joseph told her was true. She is alone now. And maybe, after what she's done—or tried to do, she deserved it as much as Joseph did.

What was she supposed to do now? She doesn't even know if she should go back to work or she should just leave and disappear altogether.

She thought of her friends in the company—especially Randy. Would he forgive her if she tells him the truth? Would he still be the same towards her? He's been so good to her, and she felt so guilty she doesn't even know if she could ever look at him straight in the eyes anymore.

His eyes—_his beautiful blue eyes_. She remembered how those eyes looked at her so endearingly the last few times she was with him. She remembered how he held her, gently, warmly, but tightly at the same time.

She remembered how warm he felt, and how secure he made her feel in his arms. And his kiss—his sweet, sweet kiss. What she would give to feel all that again that she didn't even realize how wrong it was to think of it.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

After the Raw show post-WrestleMania, Randy and Sam went back to St. Louis. But even when he was already home, the thought of Arianne keeps crossing his mind.

It's not that he wants to think about her, it's just that he couldn't help it. When he closes his eyes, he imagines her and how she looked in that midnight blue dress she wore for the Hall of Fame.

She was so beautiful in it, so simple yet elegant. He remembered how he thought of how it would be like to touch her, smell her, to kiss her...which he eventually found out at the empty hotel restaurant.

As much as he tries to not think about it, he just keeps imagining it out of the blue, wherever he was. Because of that, Sam often catches him not listening to her, and spacing off when she's talking to him. But what can he do?

It was a Wednesday night and he and Sam had just come home from having dinner with her friends. He was tired and he didn't really want to go because it was such a hectic week, coming off of WrestleMania, but he relented and came anyway just to save an argument about it.

But being as tired and reluctant as he was, it came off so obviously that they wound up having an argument anyway.

"You couldn't at least _pretend _like you were enjoying?" Sam asked Randy.

She was changing into her sleep wear in the walk-in closet, while Randy was already in bed, lying on his side, trying to sleep. But he couldn't, and every passing second, he was getting more and more agitated. He didn't even want to answer Sam, but his patience was quickly running out the door.

"Sam, please!" He said, finally. "Can't I get any peace around here?"

"Why did you even come with me?" Sam asked, dismissing his plea.

"I came because I didn't want to argue!" Randy said, sitting up on the bed. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to pretend like you care!" Sam said, her voice rising. "We're out with my friends and your mind's flying off somewhere and you weren't even paying attention to me!"

"Why don't _you_pretend like you care?" Randy said, his voice matching Sam's, and his temper beginning to flare. "I told you I'm tired and I didn't want to go, but you drag me out there and you want me to put on a happy face and pretend like I'm having fun when all I want to do is to stay here and spend some quality time with my daughter in peace!"

"Well you could've at least not acted like such an ass in front of my friends!" Sam yelled.

"Oh, I'm an _ass_?" He said, "Well, _sorry_, I guess you married an _ass_!"He grabbed a pillow, a blanket and his phone and headed to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm sleeping at the den, because you sure as hell won't let me get any sleep here!" He said, slamming the door behind him.

As he lay alone in the darkness of the den downstairs, he still couldn't fall asleep. He was still fuming and he couldn't make himself calm enough. He kicked the blanket off him in frustration. He sat up on the couch and told himself to calm down.

"Come on, Randy, just think of something to help you calm yourself down." He told himself.

And just like that, out of nowhere, he remembered Arianne and her reassuring smile.

He remembered the look she would give him when he answers some fans' questions to him during the Axxess that bordered on rude and insulting, and how he would calm down and turn things around just with a slight movement of her eyebrows and a curl of her lips.

He remembered how sometimes when he gets so teed off when they're on the road, and she'd make faces at him or touch his arm, how his temper just evaporates into thin air.

And then he remembered what happened in the empty hotel restaurant. He remembered how _her body felt on him_, how _her skin felt on his_, how she _smelled_, and how she _tasted_—she tasted sweet despite the taste of whisky in his mouth. But somehow she was more _intoxicating_.

He figured he should feel guilty for doing what he did, especially when she could've been mad at him, that's why she ran away and left all of a sudden.

But he wasn't guilty. Hell, he'd do it again if he got a chance. He looked at his phone and looked for her number. He doesn't know what he's going to tell her, though. He figured he'll think about what to say if she answers.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

**Meanwhile…**

**.**

Arianne was lying in bed, all curled up with her eyes closed, but fully awake. If there were tears left to form, she'd still be crying. But there were no more. She's cried them all out the last couple of days.

For the first time in her life, she was clueless, desperate even. She doesn't know what she's going to do next. She can't even get up from the bed because she doesn't know what to do next.

Suddenly her phone rang. She didn't even stir to answer it until it stopped ringing. But it rang again after a few seconds and she was forced to move and answer it.

The phone was in her bag at the foot of the bed. It took her a while to get it, but when she saw who was calling she immediately pressed the accept button. It was Randy.

She didn't speak for a few seconds, and just listened to him breathing. It was him who spoke first.

"Hello?" He said, unsure whether there was really anyone on the other end or if it just went dead.

When she heard his voice, she felt something she couldn't explain or describe. She just suddenly felt her tears come back. Whether it was guilt, or happiness she doesn't know.

"Hey…" She said.

She was surprised at how hoarse her voice sounded. She hasn't spoken to anyone for the last two days. Randy didn't fail to notice it either.

"Are you okay? You sound sick." He said, with genuine concern.

"I-I'm fine…" she said, "I'm just tired…it's really late."

"Yeah...Sorry about that." Randy said, realizing how late indeed it was. "I don't know what I was thinking calling you this late."

"It's all right…I'm…glad to hear your voice." She said.

Somehow that made things right for him, her saying that. He tried to come up with something to say, but nothing's coming to him, and he just can't help but smile. It just inexplicably made him so happy.

"So…how's everything?" She asked. "Did it go well? I didn't get to watch it."

"Oh, it went as well as it could…" He said, "Shawn versus Mark was awesome…"

They talked about what happened at WrestleMania. He told her how they changed the outcome of his match with Triple H. He knew she wouldn't like it, since she was the one who wrote for him to win it, and then blamed her for skipping the pay-per-view out in jest.

Talking to him somehow made her feel better. She didn't talk to him about her problems, but somehow everything became clear to her about what she needs to do.

She was going to forget about Joseph and move on with her life. She's going to keep working for the WWE. She remembered her promise to Stephanie that she was going to tough it out and make her proud. She wanted to make good on that promise.

And then there's Randy. She can't just as well turn her back on him and leave. She has to do something to make it up to him at least. Or at least that's what she thought the reason is for wanting to come back.

The two of them ended up talking all night, until she fell asleep listening to him.

"…so Santino actually won the whole damn thing." He said.

He waited for her to react or say anything, but she didn't, all he could hear was her soft breathing. He sighed when he realized he had just spent almost two hours on the phone with her and he didn't even get to talk to her about what happened the last time they were together.

But he supposed she wouldn't have talked to him if she was mad at him. There will be plenty of other times to talk about it and perhaps it would be best if they did it face to face. So he said goodbye even though he knew she can't hear him, and then he went to sleep too.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**That Friday, before the house show…**

Randy arrived at the venue with Ted. He didn't have a chance to talk to Arianne earlier at the hotel because she had a meeting with the Creative Team.

When he got to the arena, she was already there, talking with Cody.

"Hey…" He said, as he approached them.

"Randy, hey." She smiled.

"Hey, man." Cody said.

"Can I ah…talk to you for a minute?" He asked Arianne. _"Alone?" _He looked at Cody and he got the hint.

"I'll…whatever, I'll just go." Cody said.

"Okay, so…what do you want to talk to me about?" She asked.

"Let's go over there…" He said.

He took Arianne by the arm and lead her to a corner where there aren't any people. When he was sure no one can hear, he finally said what he wanted to say. Or at least he tried to.

"I ah…just wanna…about what happened…you know…that night." He mumbled, tapping his hands at the side of his thighs. "After the Hall of Fame…ceremony."

_What the hell's the matter with me?_ He thought. _Damn, this is a lot harder than I thought. Do I apologize to her even if I'm not really sorry that I kissed her? How's she going to receive that? Dammit, Randy, just apologize. It's the right thing to do._

She was looking at him and she could feel his hesitation. She figured how hard it must be for him, trying to apologize. So she just went ahead and made it easy for them both.

Besides, she didn't really want anything to change between them, and she thought making a big deal out of that one little kiss would definitely change something.

"Forget about it." She said. "It's not your fault. Not entirely anyway. I mean, we both had something to drink and I guess we both got caught in the moment...I understand." She smiled. "Let's just put it behind us. I won't tell anyone if you don't."

He just looked at her and said nothing, his lips closed tight.

"Well, I gotta go. We got a lot of work down at creative…let me tell you, everyone wants a piece of Randy Orton right now. You did really good. It's the hottest thing around this corner of Sports Entertainment!" She said. "Listen, forget about it. Don't let it bother you. You don't…you don't have to apologize. I'll see you around."

He nodded and she walked off. He stood there for a while not knowing what he was disappointed about. The fact that she forgave him without him saying he's sorry, or the fact that she basically brushed it off like it was nothing.

But then he guessed that was for the better. He didn't want it to come between them and change anything in their relationship—whatever that may be.

But ever since then, their closeness grew more evident everyday, especially during the European tours, where everyone from the Superstars to the crew travelled together.

He would always sit next to her in the bus, and even when he's not supposed to sit next to her in the plane, he'd tell whoever it was to swap seats with him.

Sometimes they would spend a lot of time together in his or her room, or anywhere else really, discussing storylines and other stuff, sometimes with Ted and Cody, but most of the time just by themselves if he's not working out at the gym with the other boys, or doing some other promotional stuff.

He does talk with the other girls and Divas, but everyone was getting the vibe that there was something there between the two.

So if those rumors before about them had died down, they were starting to come up again, especially when people who don't even know about it would notice how close they were.

It was in an airport in London on their way home and they were with Ted and Cody when a couple of fans came up to them for an autograph and a picture with her kids. The three of them obliged and Arianne even took the picture for them.

"Here you go." Arianne said, as she handed the camera back to the owner.

"Thank you." The woman said, checking out the picture in the digital camera. Then she looked at her. "They should've just used you instead of that actress in that house invasion, you're prettier than her."

"What do you mean?" She asked, puzzled.

She looked at Ted and Cody for clues but they didn't get it either. Randy on the other hand, was still talking to the kids.

"When Triple H attacked Orton in his house, they used an actress to play you." The woman said. "You're his wife right?"

Ted and Cody looked at each other as Randy approached.

Arianne laughed, "Oh, no! I'm not his wife." She said, "I'm…his…I'm his **P.A.**."

She said that when she could've said she was his writer because no other writer travels with the wrestlers as much as she does, so it was more of an excuse to why she was with them—with him.

"Oh, my goodness!" The woman said, "I apologize. I thought you were his wife."

"No problem, don't mind it." She said.

"Let's go." Randy said. "Plane's about to board."

When they were far enough from the fans, he elbowed her gently as they were walking side by side. "_P.A._, huh?"

"Well, you make me do a lot of stuff for you anyway so saying I'm your writer is kind of constricted." She mocked.

He just laughed. Walking a few feet behind them, Ted and Cody can't help but gossip about it.

"So when did she start being Randy's **PA**?" Ted asked. "I think I should have a PA since I'm the _million dollar son_."

"It's PA for _private associate_." Cody said, "Shh…they might hear."

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

It wasn't only Ted and Cody who've gotten the same idea. Stephanie had to step in because of the rumors flying around. She called Arianne up to her office one time and asked her about all the issues up front.

"There's nothing going on between me and Randy." Arianne said, "We're just friends."

"And these rumors?" Stephanie asked. "They said you were _looking for an apartment_ in Stamford _together_."

"He was just helping me out. We're not _moving in together_if that's what you're thinking! He hasn't even been there since I moved in...I had to move out of my old place. I thought it would be good to get an apartment closer to the HQ. Stephanie, they're just that. Rumors." She said.

"Listen, they even said _he got me pregnant_some time ago and I still haven't given birth. I don't even have a baby bump."

She took a deep breath. It was frustrating having to defend herself from these rumors.

"Believe me. We know our boundaries. We're not crossing it." Arianne said. "We're just really close. Close friends. Trust me."

She said it, but inside, there was still some doubt. She does know her boundaries. But she couldn't help but think about what happened at the empty restaurant with her and Randy during WrestleMania weekend.

Wasn't that sort of crossing the boundaries? They had talked about it, but nothing really came out of that conversation, except that they had agreed to put it behind them.

Stephanie sighed. She supposed she should believe Arianne. She hasn't really seen her and Randy act inappropriately with each other, although they really seem close and comfortable with each other. What seems like playing and joking around might just seem like flirting to other people.

But then, she's been there before—with Hunter. She supposed she should give Randy and Arianne the benefit of the doubt—especially Arianne. After all she's kind of taken her under her wing.

"I believe you." She said. "Just be careful with all these rumors. You know what the company policies are about these things."

"I will" Arianne said, assured.

Boy, does she have no idea about the turn of events that are about to take place.

* * *

><p>.<p>

_(N/A For an enhanced reading experience, listen to Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now". It will set you in the mood. I promise. Or go to my livejournal page to read Chapter 6 with the media on it. Thanks)_

_._

* * *

><p>Randy went out of his house got on the car and drove off. He just wanted to take things off his head and having something else to concentrate on should help.<p>

He just had to get out of the house, get some fresh air and try to unwind. He'd not been driving too long when he passed by the area where he had an accident.

And then he remembered Arianne. He remembered the conversation he had with her when she told him she lost her parents on a car accident.

He looked for a place to park for a while and found a spot over-looking the city. He got out of the car and stood there just trying to relax, breathing in the cold night air.

And then, as if on impulse, he took his phone out and just looked at it, trying to decide whether to make a call or not.

He stared at it for a long time before deciding to look for Cody's name. It's not really Cody's number, it was Arianne's. He just put it under Cody's name because he didn't want Sam to see it and be another cause for a fight. He thought about it for a while, trying to refrain from calling her.

But he couldn't fight it. He needed to hear her voice. He needed to talk to her, and he needed her to help him calm down. He needed her. Period. And that's all there is to it. So he gave in.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**May 13, 2009 1:15 AM Wednesday Hartford, CT**

**.**

Arianne was already sleeping, when her phone rang and startled her out of it. She almost jumped out of bed in surprise. She picked up the phone from her side table and read the caller ID. It was Randy, so she immediately answered.

"Hello? Randy?"

"Hey." He said.

Even in that one little word, she could sense his vexation with the quality of his voice.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

"No." He said, "Not really."

He had another row with his wife about some petty little thing that just grew out of proportion in no time. But he wasn't going to tell her that.

That wasn't the reason he called her, no, not to talk about his problems. Talking about it would just infuriate him more. He just wants to talk with her. Period.

"Well, what can I do for you?" She asked. She waited for him to speak.

"Are you doing anything tomorrow?" He said after a few seconds.

"No…why?"

"Could you fly out tonight and meet me?"

"But it's only Wednesday, we have one more day..." She started to say, but he cut her off.

"Yeah, but I gotta get out of here." He said. "Can you meet me or not?"

He sounded really stressed out and she just felt obliged to do something to help him out.

"I'll be there." She said, without thinking twice.

* * *

><p>.<p>

_Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear what you think of the story up to this point. Any comment/feedback/critiques will be much appreciated. Check out my livejournal page to see the media I embedded with the chapter. _


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

.

.

Randy left his house Wednesday night to catch a red eye to the Bloomington, Illinois. He knows what time Arianne's flight should arrive so he was kind of miffed when she hasn't showed up or called after half an hour of waiting.

It was still very early in the morning and he didn't get to sleep in the plane at all. He wouldn't have minded waiting much, had she only called.

He was growing more annoyed by the minute and was about to leave the airport without her, when she arrived finally. And he was still pissed.

"Why are you late?" He asked.

"Sorry…flight got delayed." She pouted.

No change in his expression.

"Aww…you're doing the stoic thing again!" She said, "Come on, don't be mad. I bought you coffee." She lifted the Starbucks paper bag from her cart.

"Non-fat?" He asked.

"And decaf." She said, handing it to him.

He took a sip as they started to walk out of there. "I'm still a little angry." He said.

"Pssh!" She reacted, rolling her eyes.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

John's plane just landed in Bloomington, IL. He has been accustomed to showing up early wherever they were going to have a show to kick off the week, to be able to get some work out in. And that week was no exception. That's just how he is. After all, you don't get to the top by slacking off.

He just got his luggage and was about to leave the airport when he spotted Randy. He was surprised because he never comes down that early. It was only Thursday and he's still usually at home especially when it wasn't such a long flight.

He was about to approach him when Arianne suddenly appeared.

Apparently, Randy was waiting for her because he got up and left with her right after. And that's when John got the idea that there must be some truth to the rumors he was hearing about those two. He just never really believed it because he knows Randy. They've been friends for a long time.

But then he's never seen him like that with other girls either. And why would those two be meeting so early when they could just as conveniently show up the next day for that Friday's house show? He couldn't help but think Randy's still playing the game. Well, either that or he's really having an affair with Arianne.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

"So, where are we going now?" Arianne asked Randy when they were in the car.

He hasn't said a word to her since they left at the airport and his silence was starting to bother her, and it looks like he wasn't planning on saying anything still. He just wore that brooding look on his face.

"Randy, let's go there." She told him when she saw the signage of the Apple Barn in front of the entrance.

He looked at where she pointed and frowned. "What for?"

"Because you're so grumpy!" She said, nonchalantly. "We need to get off the road and get you some fresh air. It will be good for you. You need to just chill." She touched his arm. "Come on, trust me."

He looked at her, and she smiled at him. With a sigh, he relented and drove towards the barn. The Apple Barn is one of Bloomington's tourist attractions.

It's basically an apple orchard, market and park rolled into one. The place is usually full of people, especially during harvest time, but since it was only Thursday, there weren't that many people.  
>He just followed her around, letting her lead the way.<p>

Finally they got to the orchard where they get to pick the apples that they were going to buy. Randy just sat on bench in the middle of the orchard, under a shade of a tree. He just watched her enjoyed herself, picking apples as one of the employees helped her.

As he did he felt his tension go down, and he began to relax and he didn't even realize he was smiling until Arianne came back.

"Wow! Would you look at that?" She said, as she sat beside him, putting the basket of apples down on his lap. "_Grumpy_'s actually smiling now!"

"Pssh." He teased back. He looked at the apples. "This is all you got? Pathetic."

"Well I didn't see you lifting a finger to help me!" She said, laughing.

He just smiled. It made her feel good that he seemed in a better mood. He looked at the apples in the basket and picked the best one.

"So…you want to tell me why you wanted to meet up so early?" Arianne asked.

"Nope." He said simply. He wiped the apple with his shirt and then he took a bite.

"Why not?" She looked at him. "Come on, you made me fly out here to meet you. The least you could do is to tell me the reason."

"Because I'd rather enjoy this time with you than to talk about my problems." He said, looking at her.

He surprised himself when he said it, especially when he saw how it surprised Arianne too—enough to make her blush and speechless. He thought maybe he shouldn't have said it.

But then again, that was exactly what he meant. That was exactly how he feels. But he didn't want to make things awkward between them. Not now. So he took another apple and wiped it clean with his shirt and gave it to her.

"Try it. It's really good." He said.

"Yeah." She took the apple and took a bite too.

He put on his sunglasses, and took a bite on the apple. "By the way, I'm not _Grumpy_." He said, "I'm _Dopey_. See?" He pointed at his ear.

That made her laugh a little.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**Meanwhile…**

.

John has checked in at the hotel they were all going to stay in. He was met at the hotel lobby by a few fans since nobody expected him to be there that early. After signing autographs and taking pictures with the fans, he finally got to the front desk and do his business.

"Here you are Mr. Cena." The guy at the front desk said, "Room 807, that's on the eight floor, right wing."

"Thanks." He said, "By the way, has ah…anybody from my group checked in yet?"

"Nope, you're the first one, sir."

"Hmm…" He thought maybe the guys wasn't a wrestling fan and didn't know who Randy is, so he tried describing him. "No one by the name of Orton checked in? Tall guy, handsome, lanky, lots of tats on the arm…could've come in with a woman?"

"No, sir. And I know who Randy Orton is. I'm a big fan."

"Oh. Cool." He said. _Now, where did those two went off to?_He thought to himself.

* * *

><p>.<p>

**Back at the Apple Barn…**

.

The two had been pretty quiet for some time. Arianne was watching people walk past them, picking apples. Randy, tired and sleep deprived as he was, sat idly on the bench, watching her under his dark sunglasses pretending to be taking a nap. He just doesn't know what to say to her after that awkward moment.

They were being inconspicuous, trying not to get attention so Randy was enjoying himself, relaxing, breathing in the fresh air. He was always on the road, going from city to city, yet he never really gets to slow down and take in the scenery.

So this was a very welcome change of pace—albeit just a little while. Not to mention he was happy with the company he has. He closed his eyes for a little bit and just took in the atmosphere.

"Aww…where did you come from?" Arianne suddenly said, "Come here buddy!"

He opened his eyes and took his glasses off to see who she was talking to. The sun was shining down on her through the leaves of the trees surrounding them, and he thought she almost looked luminescent for a second.

She was petting a small dog by her feet. It was a Terrier.

"Where'd you come from little one? Where is your owner?" She asked the dog as if it can speak, as she picked it up. The dog seems to like being pet by her.

Randy sat up right, "You like dogs?" He asked.

"Sure." She said, "Dogs are great. You take care of them, they take care of you back in their own way."

"Jackie!" A little girl called the dog not far from where they were sitting. "Jackie, come here boy!"

The dog jumped off from Arianne's lap and ran towards the girl. When the dog was a few feet close to her, the little girl ran and the dog followed her to where her parents and brother was.

Arianne watched them for a moment, and Randy saw a little smile on her lips.

"Do you want a dog?" He asked.

"No." She said, withdrawing her gaze from the family and staring off somewhere else. "It's hard to take care of one with the lifestyle we have, being on the road most of the time…especially when you have no one to go home to…like a family."

She shook her head a little bit like she was trying to refocus. "I mean, you know, like me, I live alone…I have no one at home to watch the dog for me."

She cleared her throat, after her voice cracked up a little as she said that. And Randy, knowing what happened to her parents, felt compelled to comfort her. But he doesn't even know the first thing to say. So he didn't say anything and just put a hand over her knee.

She took his hand in both of her hands and looked at him, "I'm fine, don't worry about me." She said.

She put her head on his shoulder, and closer her eyes. "I'm gonna be just fine."

Somehow, his presence makes her feel stronger, giving her strength, like having him beside her makes her feel like she can take on anything that comes her way.

She couldn't even begin to explain it, not even to herself because it all happened so fast, and perhaps no one could understand her—except maybe for Randy. Because he feels the same way.

They stayed like that for a while before they left. They drove around for a while, taking in the sights, something they never get to do a lot, travelling as much as they do.

.

When it started getting dark, they decided to head to the hotel and get settled and rest before everyone else starts arriving. They didn't count that John would be there already at all.

John was coming out of his room when he saw them. Randy was walking Arianne to her door, pulling her luggage along. When John saw them, he didn't went out yet and just peeked from behind his door. His room just happened to be between Arianne and Randy's room.

"This is me." Arianne said when they got to her door. "My bags, please?"

"Oh, right!" Randy handed her her luggage. "So ah…you wanna get some dinner?"

"I don't know…I'm hungry, but I'm more tired." She said, "I think I'll just rest, maybe sleep it off."

"Or we can just order room service and stay in my room…or yours." He said, faster than he could think about it. "Uh…I mean if you want to, no pressure." He added when he realized what he said.

She smiled, "Randy, we've spent the whole day together already. Aren't you tired of me yet?" She joked.

He just smiled, and didn't say anything. Something in the way that he was looking at her gave her an answer. But she didn't entertain it and chose to ignore it. Not because she didn't want to, but because she's afraid if she let it happen that she might cross a line she'll never be able to come back from again.

A line she knows would be wrong if she crosses.

"You should get some rest. It's been a long day." She told him, pulling her luggage inside the door. "Good night."

Then she went inside and closed the door slowly behind her. As soon as she locked the door, she leaned on the door and closed her eyes, as she tried to make herself relax.

Her heart was beating so fast, and she thought it might just leap out of her chest if she hadn't gotten inside the room. She realized she was that close to crossing that line.

Outside, Randy didn't leave yet either. He just stood there, a little bit dejected, looking at the door. Part of him thought it was just as well that she didn't agree to his suggestion, otherwise he doesn't know what could possibly happen next, if he could control whatever it was that was pulling him towards her or not.

But then another part of him wished he had the guts to say out loud what he was thinking when she asked him if he wasn't tired of her yet to her face. It's like the feeling is getting stronger all the time, every moment he spends with her, and maybe even when he doesn't.

He wondered how long he can keep fighting what he was feeling. Maybe he should try distancing himself from her, but he couldn't even really begin to imagine it because it almost feels like cutting his own limb off.

"How can I be tired of you?" He said. "I don't even think that's possible."

With a sigh of confusion and distress, he walked to his room.

John saw and heard everything though, and was just as confused about what he's witnessed. He knows what it looks like, but he just didn't want to believe it is what it seems to be.

He just can't believe that Randy would still be playing Arianne after all this time. He thought he was having a legitimate friendship with her already. He was very disappointed with Randy.

What was he trying to prove? What was he thinking? He's married, and with a kid, so why is he still doing this? What is he getting out of it?

He also felt sorry for Arianne. He's seen the way she looks at him and if Randy is still playing her, she's just going to end up getting hurt.

She's a nice girl, and she has her whole future ahead of her, it would be awful if she ends up getting hurt because of what Randy is doing. That kind of heartbreak can affect a girl so badly it could just ruin her life.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**The next day…**

.

The other Superstars and crew from both shows have started coming in for the house show that night. Randy went to see Arianne so they could get breakfast together, but John had other ideas.

So when he saw them at the lobby, he approached them and tried to talk to Randy.

"Hey, man! When did you guys get here? I thought you'd arrive today." John said, pretending he didn't see them yesterday. "Hey, Arianne."

"Hi, John." She smiled.

"Uh…yeah…I landed last night." Randy lied.

"Right." John said. "Well, I'm meeting the other guys for breakfast before going to the gym, you want to join us?"

"We're actually just about to grab a bite…" He looked at Arianne like he's asking her what he should do.

"It's okay." She said, "You guys go…I have to see Stephanie in a few minutes anyway." She touched his arm, "I'll see you at the arena." She smiled.

"Alright." He said. He watched her go before he got back to John. "So, where are the other guys?"

"Actually, they're not here yet." John said, "I just said that because we need to talk."

Randy felt a little irked about that. He really wanted to go to breakfast with Arianne because they weren't going to see each other until later that night at the show.

But John looked serious and he was curious as to what John wanted to talk to him about. They went to get some breakfast while they talked.

"Okay…what do you want to talk about?" Randy asked.

"About you…and Arianne." John said.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: Thanks for reading. I hope you like it. :) I'd appreciate feedbackscomments. ;)_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

.

.

"What are you doing, man?" John asked, "What's going on with you and Arianne?"

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"Come on, man! Are you really going to deny it to me?" John said, "I've noticed it a while back, I didn't take it for anything. But don't you think you should stop now?"

"Listen, I don't know what you're talking about." Randy said. "So unless you tell me what exactly it is you mean, be specific, then I got nothing to tell you."

Actually, he got an idea about what John was talking about. He figured he meant that he was still playing the game with Arianne, which is not true. When he told Kennedy that it was over a while back, he meant it. If it seemed to turn out that he won, that wasn't his problem anymore. He didn't even take the prize.

But John still believed that was what he was doing. "Dude, I know you." He said, "Don't you think you ought to stop playing with her now? You've kept this going for months now, obviously you've won. What else are you trying to prove?"

"I'm not trying to prove anything." Randy said.

"What are you doing then?" John asked, "Don't tell me you actually have feelings for her? You're not _in love _with Arianne, are you man?"

Randy didn't say anything. But when John said that, that was when he was actually able to articulate the questions lingering inside him about what he really feels for Arianne.

_Is he in love with her? Should he be? He knows it's wrong to, but why does it feel so right, like suddenly everything made sense?_

"Dude, you're not in love with her, are you?" John asked again, interrupting his thoughts. "Man, you know we have policies about these kinds of things, don't you? You could get suspended, and she could get fired. Not to mention, if this goes out to the press that you're having an affair then..."

"**We're not**! Okay, John?" He snapped. He took a deep breath to compose himself again, "We're not having an affair."

He knows John is right about what could happen. He could get suspended, but with his status in the company, they can't give him too harsh a punishment for it. It would be something he can survive, and it would probably get covered up for his protection and won't even get to the media.

But he was more worried about what could happen to Arianne. She could get fired and there's nothing he can say or do about it. So does Stephanie, however close she and Arianne may be.

Arianne was definitely going to suffer the worst blow, and he can't let that happen. That's why he can't cross the line.

"You're right the first time." He told John. "I am…_still_…just playing Arianne. I'm just having too much fun, I guess, that's why it's gotten this far…"

"I knew it!" John said in affirmation. "Well, Randy, all I can tell you is you better stop this. Look at what you're doing to the poor girl. She's falling for you, it's so obvious. If you don't stop now, you're going to end up breaking her heart…"

"Okay! I got your point, alright?" Randy stood up, and threw his napkin on the table. "God, don't you ever shut up?"

He walked away pissed off and didn't even finish his breakfast. John thought Randy just didn't like being reprimanded like that, and quite frankly, he could've sounded a little less lecturing. He's a grown man, and he's really matured a lot over the years.

In the seriousness of their conversation though, they failed to notice Cody pass by behind them. He heard what Randy said that he was still just playing with Arianne, and he couldn't help but connect everything that went on, and everything he saw about the supposed closeness and friendship the two have.

He has the utmost respect for Randy, as he was a sort of mentor for him since he debuted, and they are friends, but Arianne is his friend too. So it bothered him that Randy said that. Somehow he feels he has to let Arianne know about it, if only so she could protect herself.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**Later, at the show…**

.

Randy and Edge just came back in from the ring after their match with Big Show, against Triple H, Cena and The Undertaker. The other four guys were still in the ring to close the show. They were headed back to their dressing room when Arianne approached them.

"Hey guys!" She said, "_Hightailed _again, huh?" She joked.

Randy just smiled a little. She's been trying to convince him to make a face turn or at least be a tweener multiple times when they're talking about what direction they should take his character to, but he always just dismisses it. He likes being a heel he said. She's very persistent though.

"Haha! What else is new?" Edge said sarcastically, "It's the life of a heel! Anyway, I'll see you guys at the next city."

"You _never stop_, do you?" Randy said.

"What? I thought you liked that about me!" She said, laughing a little.

Just then John came back in and saw them talking. Randy saw him too and remembered what they talked about earlier over breakfast.

"So, anyway…you should get cleaned up. Just message me when we're leaving." She said.

"Actually…" He said, "I'm going to ride in Big Show's bus with Ted and Sheamus."

"Oh…okay." She said. "Who am I gonna ride with?"

"I don't know…" He said, coldly. "Ask Cody, maybe you can ride with him and Beth."

She felt a little disappointed about it. It's not just because she's gotten used to riding with Randy wherever. There were times when he does ride with the other guys, but he always makes sure she can ride with someone else. This time, it was different because he didn't inform her ahead of time.

Aside from that, there's this sudden change in his demeanor like he was suddenly cold—indifferent even, when just yesterday up to that morning before they parted ways he seem like he didn't want to be apart from her.

Not that she was going to tell him that.

"Right…" She said, trying to sound casual. "I…I guess I'll see you…in the next city."

He didn't say anything, not because he didn't want to, but he couldn't. It's like there's this bug lump inside his throat that made it hard for him to speak.

And with that she walked away, perplexed and confused about what just happened and what she felt about it.

He watched her go farther and farther away until she turned to one of the alleys in the long corridor and disappeared. He wanted to go after her, but he controlled himself. Instead, he went to his dressing room and took a shower. He was determined to take the notion of them having an affair out.

He stood in front of the mirror, after coming out of the shower, looking at himself. Arianne's probably out of the arena now and on the road with someone—hopefully Cody and Beth, he thought.

He looked closer at his reflection in the mirror, trying to convince himself that he did the right thing and that it was all for her own good.

"Then why the hell don't I feel good about it?" He said out loud, rubbing his face in frustration.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

"You ready to go?" Beth asked Arianne.

"Yeah, I'm all set." She said, pulling her luggage.

Beth was amazed that she was only carrying one luggage and her laptop in a bag. "That's all you have? Wow, you travel light."

"I don't have to lug wrestling gears around, and in Cody's case a few couple dozen comic books." She said.

Beth laughed. "I know, right?" She said, "Oh, here he is finally. I swear he takes longer to get ready than I do."

Cody had the feeling the girls were talking about him with the looks on their faces. "What?"

"Nothing." The girls said in unison.

He shook his head, "Right." He said, "Arianne, can you drive first?"

"Of course." She took the key, and they left.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**Meanwhile, on Big Show's bus…**

**.**

"Guys, can you keep it down? I'm trying to sleep here." Randy said under his pillow.

He's been trying to go to sleep basically since he got on the bus—_trying _being the operative word, but he's failing miserably to do so. Not just because Sheamus and Ted were talking while playing cards a couple of feet away from him, it was more because of what he did to Arianne.

He keeps playing back in his mind how she walked away and disappeared in the hallway. If she had turned around to look at him, he thinks he would've changed his mind. The longer he thinks about it, the more it eats at him.

"I can't believe we're stuck in traffic at one in the morning." Show grunted.

"Take it easy fella." Sheamus said, "I'll take over the wheel if you want."

"Hey, isn't that Cody's car?" Ted said, looking outside the window.

Randy stood up quickly and went to the window, "Where?"

"There, the red SUV after the Corolla." Ted said. He looked at him, curiously. "I thought you were sleeping?"

"I was trying to. You guys were too loud." Randy said, peering through the window. "I can't see them."

"Them or that lass you're always hanging out with?" Sheamus asked, jokingly.

Randy suddenly backed away from the window when Sheamus said that, realizing that it's not only John that's noticed about him and Arianne. If Sheamus who's from ECW had noticed it, how much more would the people from Raw?

Ted shot him a look, as a warning to not continue with the topic. From the amount of time he's spent with Randy, he already knows what the little quirks and body language he has means.

Even if he doesn't really know what's going on in his head, or what the real situation is. He knows when Randy is not in a good mood.

Randy didn't say a word and went back to where he was sleeping in.

"What did I do?" Sheamus asked Ted.

"Just…don't ever say anything about that again."

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

For the next couple of days, it was more obvious that Randy was avoiding Arianne. He would only talk to her if it's about work, and sometimes he doesn't even talk at all. He just let Cody and Ted do it and just have them relay what they've discussed to him.

It was Sunday afternoon, and Arianne was looking for Randy to inform him of the changes Vince made in the storyline with Batista for that Monday. They had Ric Flair written in for his return. So she went to his hotel room, but he wasn't there. Cody was the only one there.

"Hey, Codes…is Randy there?" She asked when Cody opened the door.

"No, he's ah…out. I think he went to the gym with Ted. Didn't…he tell you?" He asked cautiously.

He saw the spark in her eyes grow blunt and her smile dim, like all the other times she came to talk to Randy but found him unavailable. And like all the other times, she tries to act casual about it.

"Well…I guess I should just leave this to you." She said, handing the papers to Cody. "I've highlighted the important parts, and wrote notes on the side so he has a guide."

"I'll make sure to give it to him." He said. "Hey, Arianne…can I talk to you for a second?"

"Um…okay, what about?"

"Come inside?"

She walked into the room. Cody thought about it for a second. Should she tell him what he heard Randy and John talking about? That it's all just a ploy and Randy's still playing her just because he enjoys it? Randy's his friend and mentor, but she's his friend too and she doesn't deserve any of it.

"Just be careful with Randy." He said, "Don't be too close to him."

Cody didn't really want to tell her everything and thought it would be enough just to warn her.

"What?" She felt a little prick on her heart when Cody said that. Perhaps she felt a little offended that he's telling her what to do. "Why? What are you trying to tell me?" She asked.

Cody couldn't come up with any other excuse to make for why he said such a thing, so he decided to just let her know what he knows.

"You remember when I told you months ago, about the game they're playing?" He said, "I just don't think he's stopped playing it yet." He paused, "Arianne, you're my friend. And I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Come on, Cody…you expect me to believe that?" She asked.

She was very confident that Randy was sincere in their friendship. There has never been any hint that he wasn't. He's been there for her more than anyone else the last few months, regardless whether he knew what's really going on with her or not.

But he's been a shoulder she could lean on through her hard times. He's also helped her professionally, encouraging her and pushing her to whatever she wanted to try.

"I don't know why you're telling me this, or what you hope to achieve." She said, "He's your friend. Why would you say that about him?" She shook her head, "I can't believe this…I can't believe you're saying this. If you have issues with him or something, you should go to him…and not try to turn me against him." She turned to leave.

"I'm just worried about you, Ari." Cody said, when she was about to turn the door knob.

"He is my friend, but so are you. I hope he's not just playing you, because in this situation you're the one who's at the most disadvantageous position." He said, "I'm just looking out for you."

"You don't need to do that, Cody." She said, turning to look at him. "He's not gonna hurt me like that."

"I hope you're right." Cody said, "And I hope you're not just saying that because…because you're in love with him…are you?"

"Of course not." She said.

She turned her back at him. She had never been the kind to able to hide her feelings as it always shows on her face. She didn't want Cody to see the hesitation and confusion in her eyes as she denied what her heart was screaming.

"Good." Cody said, "Because he's married. You're just going to end up getting hurt."

"I have to go." She said.

And as quickly as that, she opened the door and walked out.  
>But even as she tried to hide it from Cody, he still was able to read through her. And that made him think of taking the next action.<p>

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**A week after…**

**.**

Randy was still avoiding Arianne. She even rents her own ride now, just so she could avoid anyone asking about all the changes. He was always hanging out with the other guys so she was left with Cody and Ted most of the time. She could take a hint though and realized what he was doing, although she doesn't know why.

Or maybe she just doesn't want to admit it to herself that maybe, just maybe, Cody was right and he had just dropped the act, moved on and left her to hang dry.

That had never been more apparent to her than that Monday afternoon before Raw, at the Staples Center in LA. He was chatting with MVP, Batista, Big Show and John Cena backstage, sitting around on equipment boxes, when Arianne came to talk to him.

"Why must Miz be on my team?" Randy said, "Come on, I'll swap him with anyone! That dude's annoying."

"Meh…at least you only have to deal with him tonight." Show said. "I think they're planning to make us a tag team!"

Batista laughed, "Thank God, I'm not a heel right now or I'll be on the team with you."

"Man, I'd rather work with Miz than you-know-who." John said.

"Hey, baby girl!" MVP said when he saw Arianne. "What's up?" He put his hand up for a high five.

"Hey, how's it goin' M?" She smiled and high-fived him. "Um, Randy…can I talk to you?"

Everyone became silent then, waiting for him to say something. Somehow, it made him feel like he's being scrutinized from the inside out.

"I'm busy right now." He told her, in a cocky demeanor, brushing her off.

"But this is important." She said.

"Whatever it is you want to say to me, _it can wait_." He said.

"Oooh!" Batista teased.

Arianne felt as if her feet got planted right where she was standing. She felt her face flush in deep red, and it was very visible no matter how she tried to control herself and show no emotion.

She felt her eyes getting warmer, like they were about to produce tears out of utter annoyance. So before they start to do that she decided to leave.

"Okay." She said, with gritted teeth and a clenched fist. "Later then…"

She turned around and walked away from there as fast as she could. She didn't even see Cody and Ted until she bumped into them literally. But even then she didn't stop.

"Hey, Ari…" Cody called after her.

"Sorry." She said without turning around or stopping.

"What's wrong with her?" Ted asked.

Cody didn't answer, but he thinks he knows what happened, especially when he saw the direction from where she came from.

"Nice man." Batista said, gesturing for a fist bump from Randy, laughing. "You a playa dude."

Randy obliged and bumped his fist, but then he became quiet and would only smile vaguely.

How could he smile for real when what he did was tearing up his heart with guilt? And it's really pissing him off because he knows he can't do anything about it.

All he can do is try to hide what he's really feeling.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

Arianne went to the TV room for a while because she wanted to have a moment alone, and nobody was going to be there yet since the show hasn't started yet.

She was just really teed off with how Randy had talked to her in front of the other guys and she had to calm herself down. So she laid down on the sofa for a while and closed her eyes.

Suddenly Stephanie walked in while talking on her phone, and she sat up then.

"Yes, baby…Don't forget to take your meds now okay?" She said, "Mommy will be home tomorrow…I love you, too. Bye."

She clicked the phone off then and put it in her coat pocket. "Arianne! What are you doing here?"

"I just…wanted to be somewhere quiet for a little bit."

"Is there something wrong?" She asked.

"No, everything's just fine…" Arianne smiled.

But Stephanie must have some kind of sixth sense because she read through that smile.

"Really?" She curled her lips, knowingly. "Come on, are you going to start keeping things from me now?"

"Well…It's Randy…" She said, unsure if she really should tell her.

"What about him?" She asked. "Did you have a misunderstanding?"

"That's the thing." She said, "I don't even know. He just…all of a sudden is avoiding me…and acting different towards me."

"And it bothers you?" Stephanie asked.

"Well…yes." She said, "I mean, how am I going to do my job if he won't talk to me?" Of course, it's not just doing her job she's worried about.

"Hmm…I have noticed you haven't been hanging out much since lately." Steph remarked.

She didn't respond to that. She doesn't even know what happened or why he suddenly changed. They've just spent an entire day together, and then the next day he was completely aloof. It was like he was trying to push her away was what she meant, but she didn't really want to say that.

"Well…you should talk to him." Stephanie said, "Nothing can be solved without sitting down and talking about it."

"I already tried that earlier…he just brushed me off." She said.

"Well, I'm sure you can find another way to get him to sit down and talk." Stephanie said, "Be a little assertive."

.

.

* * *

><p><em>.<em>

_That night on Raw featured a Ten-Man Tag Match, putting the team of Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase, Cody Rhodes, Big Show, and The Miz in Denver Nuggets jerseys against the team of John Cena, Batista, MVP, Evan Bourne and Mr. Kennedy in Lakers jerseys in the main event._

_._

* * *

><p>.<p>

**Back at the hotel, after the show…**

**.**

Randy was packing his bags after taking a shower. He'd had a rough night, especially after the tag match, when he had a bit of an argument with Kennedy backstage.

His traps were sore and it would probably feel even sorer in the morning. Not to mention his other problems. That's why he was even more pissed off when he was about to sleep and somebody came knocking on his door.

* * *

><p><em>AN Hi, readers! Thanks all for reading! Would love to hear from you. :)_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

.

.

**"What?" **

Arianne asked. "What do you mean he got hurt?"

Ted was helping her load her luggage on her car, and he told her that Randy got hurt during the main event because, apparently, Kennedy dropped him on his head off a back suplex.

"Didn't you see it?" Ted asked, as he closed the compartment.

"No…I…I left before the main event." She said. "Is he okay?"

"Well…he was pretty mad backstage." Ted said, "They've checked him out though, he'll be fine. But I'm sure he's still sore. He was really grumpy on the way back here."

"I bet he was." She said, looking rather concerned. "Well…thanks for your help. I'll see you next week, I guess."

"Yeah." He said, "I gotta go, get packing. Take care."

She got in the car after Ted had left, but she couldn't even put the key in the ignition. Her flight was in five hours and she really needed to be going, but she just couldn't make herself leave. She wanted to see Randy and see how he was doing.

Finally she tossed the key back to her purse and went out of the car. Most of the others have already left to maximize their time off, so there's only a few of them left at the hotel.

She figured maybe this was her chance to talk to him about what really is going on too. She thought it would be good to talk to him alone.

For one it could save her from the embarrassment of him brushing her off again. And also, because she thinks he was putting on an act when someone else is around.

Then again, maybe that's what's real and their supposed friendship is the act. That's what she needed to make clear of above all.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**"What now?"**Randy snapped when he opened the door.

If looks could kill, Cody would've dropped dead on the floor right then and there, as soon as Randy looked at him.

"Sorry." Cody said, "Didn't mean to disturb you."

"Well, it's too late for that now, isn't it?" He said.

"I already apologized." Cody said. "I just want to talk to you about something."

"This better be important." Randy said.

"Well, it depends."

"On what?" He asked.

"On how important Arianne is to you." Cody said.

Randy just suddenly felt more annoyed than he already was.

It's not the fact that Cody came to him to talk about Arianne. It's the fact that Cody thought he should. It's the fact that everybody seemed to think they had the right to meddle in his and Arianne's business that was more annoying to him.

He figured if no one had decided to meddle with their business, that he and Arianne would've still been close friends. He wouldn't have felt obliged to push her away, and feel guilty every time he does it.

When he didn't speak, Cody thought he was just going to listen so he said what he came there to tell him.

"I heard you and John Cena talking about her last week." He said. "I heard you told him that you're just playing with Arianne."

He paused to see Randy's reaction. But he was deadpan, so he continued.

"Randy, I heard everything…and I told Ari about it. I told her because she's my friend, and I care about her."

He felt about ready to explode then but he controlled himself. Does Cody really think he's the only one who cares about Arianne? He cares about her more than anyone could ever know. Why do they think he chose to sacrifice whatever it was he was feeling just to keep her away from everything that could possibly go wrong?

"She didn't believe me though. She has too much trust in you. She doesn't think you're capable of it, after all this time." Cody said. "It's none of my business, but I think you should just tell her the truth. That you've been playing with her all this time. I mean, I respect you and all but what you're doing is wrong man. You're hurting her."

That's when he heard enough.

"You know what, Cody?" He snapped, "You're right! It is…none…of your business."

Cody was about to say something when someone beat him to the punch.

"Is it none of my business too?" Arianne asked. Her voice cracking but with conviction.

"Arianne!" Randy and Cody said at the same time.

They didn't sense her presence until she spoke because they were both intent on their own conversation.

She was looking at Randy with her piercing eyes filled with disappointment and despair, and a hint of contempt. And it rendered him frozen for a moment.

He didn't know how to react and what to do. All he knows is there's a stabbing pain in his chest as she looked at him like that.

"Ari, what are you doing here?" Cody asked.

"I came to talk to him." Arianne said, with her voice getting steadier each second. "You can leave now, Cody."

She didn't take her eyes off of Randy, and he couldn't really hold her gaze out of guilt, or perhaps, shame.

"But Ari…"

"Cody, please…" She looked at Cody, "Just leave."

Cody decided to leave as per her request. He figured the two needed to talk too. He was going to wait for the elevator but it's still a long way from that floor so he took the stairs.

Arianne and Randy didn't say a word to each other all the while. Arianne just stood there looking at him outside his door, and he just stood there with his eyes down.

"Aren't you gonna say something?" Arianne asked, breaking the awkward silence.

Randy lifted his eyes and looked at her for a moment. "I'm so…"

He was going to say he was sorry, but didn't get to finish it because she slapped him across the face already.

"You're sorry?" She said, her hands clenched tightly, trying to ignore the throbbing pain from the impact of her slap.

"You're gonna say you're sorry?" Her lips were trembling, as is her whole body. Her eyes were starting to moisten, "Well, I don't forgive you." She felt like her strength is going to drain away right then if she didn't leave. "I hate you."

She turned to leave, but Randy grabbed her arm and turned her back around. "Let me explain!"

"No!" She said.

She was going to scream it but her voice just came out just a little louder than a whisper. She tried to get away from him, but he's already got his arms around her waist trying to stop her from leaving.

"Let me go."

"Arianne, just let me explain!" He said, half dragging her into his room, lest somebody pass by and see them.

She was fighting him off so hard it took a lot of effort for him to get her inside the room, but he did it. And as soon as he did, he stood between her and the door so she couldn't pass.

He shoved her a little to give them space and to stop her from swiping at him. She stopped, but that's when she started to cry.

"Ari, please…" He said softly. "Just hear me out for a minute."

He locked the door behind him and approached her, not sure of his steps all of a sudden. Seeing her break down like that, he felt like breaking down too. He tried to hold her but she shoved him away.

"What for?" She asked. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him. "So you could lie to me some more? So you could play your stupid little game on me again?"

**"I'm not playing any games!"** Randy said.

He tried to come near her again but she pushed him, harder this time.

"What do you mean you're not playing any games?" She said, "You just admitted it to John and to Cody!" She felt her knees get weak suddenly that she had to hold on to the table beside her. "Why would you do that? Why? Why did you do that to me?"

Randy saw that and he tried to help her, but she just pushed him away again.

"You don't understand. I only did it to protect you." He said.

"Protect me? How is that protecting me?" She asked.

Her strength returning as it was fueled by her anger.

"Oh, God…why am I such an idiot?" She cried, "Did you get some kind of sick pleasure when you were playing with me?"

"Will you just shut up and let me talk?" He said, grabbing her by her shoulders. "Just listen to what I have to say!"

She suddenly slapped him again, for the second time. He was stunned for a couple of seconds from the impact, and she took that chance to get past him towards the door.

But this time, it made him a bit angry. He came after her and pushed the door down so she won't be able to open it.

"Let go!" She said, "Randy, let go!"

"No!" He said, "Not until you listen to what I have to say!"

She didn't say anything, but she didn't stop struggling to pull the door open. But he was strong and the door won't even budge no matter how hard she tried.

"Did you even really care about me?" She asked, sobbing.

"You know I do." He said. "I only told John what Cody heard me say so he'd stop bothering me about you…about us."

"Just stop lying to me…" She said, angrily pushing him away again. That took him a couple of steps back. "Just stop breaking my heart…just stop! I knew all about the games you were playing…! I opened myself up to you and let you in to my life…and you just played with me…!"

She put her hands over her face. "God…why did I even think you'd treat me differently? I'm so stupid to believe you…I never should've trusted you!" She went for the door knob again.

He was getting a really angry then because she wouldn't listen to him.

"Well, nobody told you to do all that!" Randy told her, before she could unlatch the door.

She turned around and looked at him, her eyes ablaze with anger.

"No. Nobody told me to do it!" She yelled, crying. "But, I did anyway because, guess what? Take a hint, stupid! I love you, you idiot!"

She covered her mouth with her hand, realizing what she just said. She didn't expect what she said to come out of her mouth, because even though she knew what she felt—feels, for him, she never really thought of telling him, especially since he is married. It was on pure impulse.

"What did you say?" He asked, wide eyed

Randy just couldn't believe what he heard or that she felt that way about him. He felt a sudden rush of warmth come over him that he couldn't really describe.

Suddenly, he felt like all the feelings he's been keeping inside burst out of him when she said those three little words

"I-I have to go." She said, nervously.

She turned towards the door, and almost got it opened but he forcibly turned her around and kissed her, pinning her to the door.

She tried to struggle away from him, but he's too strong and he held her arms tightly. When he felt her resistance go down, when she stopped pushing against him, and started responding to his kiss, he let lose a bit.

"W-wait…" She said, pushing at him a bit, with her hands on his chest. "We can't…we shouldn't do this."

He looked into her eyes and he understands what she's saying, but he couldn't control what he's feeling anymore. It's just like when he first kissed her, except now he knows it wasn't the alcohol.

It was her that was intoxicating. He feels like his heart was going to pop out of his chest if he doesn't do what it was screaming for him to do.

"No…" His eyes felt warm, as if he's going to start tearing up. "We shouldn't." He said.

But he kissed her again anyway, with his eyes closed. And she kissed him back. He put his hands through her hair behind her ears.

She took her hands off his chest and placed them on his shoulders. But she pulled away again when she felt his tongue brush against her lips and her knees were getting weak.

"S-stop…This is… this is wrong." She said, between his kisses, trying not to be overwhelmed but quickly losing.

"I know…" He said, breathing in her mouth.

He kissed her again, wrapping his arms around her, taking her weight on to him. It's like every time he kisses her it gets more passionate and its breaking her walls down.

She struggled to hold on to the last string of sensibility she has. Her mind was telling her no, but everything else was saying yes, liking—wanting what she was feeling.

She steered her face away. "We're going to burn in hell for this." She told him in hope that maybe he'd have more sense than she does right at that moment.

But instead of stopping, he moved towards her neck, trailing kisses up her jaw to her ear.

"I don't care…" He whispered. He turned her face towards him and made her look into his eyes. "…as long as you're with me, I don't care."

.

.

And that was when she let go of everything—all her doubts, all her worry, all her inhibitions, all her restraints, and accepted what her heart has been screaming for.

This time, it was her who kissed him first. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him as her tears continue to flow, letting her whole self fall into his arms.

By pure instinct, or maybe its desire, he scooped her off the floor and carried her towards the bed. He was waiting for her to protest but she didn't. She didn't even let go of him.

He sat her gently down on the bed, leaning over her, and with his hands now free, he began to explore her body.

She shuddered when his hand touched her breast and it made him stop. He looked at her and saw a little hesitation come over her eyes.

He wasn't going to force her into something she doesn't want to do, but before he could ask her, she kissed him again and pulled him closer, letting him climb onto the bed on his knees, as she got out from under him and kneeled as well.

That made him more daring. He pulled and slipped his hand under the front of her shirt, finding the lacy texture of her bra and her soft, silky smooth skin of her bosom beneath it.

She let go of him then and allowed him to take her shirt and bra off, and after wards his own shirt, flinging all of them away somewhere.

He started again with planting hot passionate kisses on her neck, moving slowly, inch by inch, towards the two soft mounds on her chest, taking them into his mouth one at a time, swirling his tongue around the small hard crown on top of it.

She ran her hands on bristle like hair and his hard, taut torso, digging at the flesh of his back, while making soft gasps and moans that made him wilder.

He searched for the latch at the back of her skirt, unhooked and unzipped it. He laid her down on the bed and looked at her wholeness. There was nothing else on his mind at that moment but his desire for her. Slowly and sensually, he pulled her skirt, hose and everything off.

Everything felt like a hundred times over as her primal senses became more sensitive. Suddenly the bed felt a whole lot softer. The touch of his warm hands sent shivers through her whole body, but at the same time made her feel like she was on fire.

She closed her eyes in surrender, letting the instincts of any daughter of Eve to take over and seize the fulfillment of her primeval desires.

And at that moment, there was nothing she desires than the man lying beside her. Nothing she wants than to be conquered by him. Nothing she needs than to feel him inside her.

"Take me…" She whispered in his ear, breathlessly, between kisses as she wrapped a leg around his hip. "Take me now, Randy…please."

That was all he was really waiting for, though he's been ready for a while. But he knew if he didn't hold himself back that there was going to be no stopping him.

So when she said those words to him, it was like she shattered the shackles that were restraining him. He got on top of her, brusquely parting her legs so he could position himself between them.

But then he felt something that made him stop halfway. He saw tears seeping out from the corner of her eyes. She was biting her lower lip, trying to keep herself from crying out.

"Arianne…" He said. "God, are you…?"

She opened her eyes and looked at him, and she understood what he was asking her. She nodded, timidly, in confirmation.

"Am I hurting you?" He asked, concerned, though he looked like he was in pain—probably in as much as she is. "Tell me to stop…I'll try to." He wiped her tears away gently.

"Shhh…" She touched his face, with trembling hands. "I don't want you to stop." She said.

"A-are you sure?"

She smiled and nodded. "I'm sure."

And so he carried on…

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**A couple of hours later…**

**.**

**.**

_"You did it after all."_ Joseph said, snickering evilly at her. _"Very good, Arianne…very, very good."_

They were in the middle of the hotel's corridor, outside her room. He was sitting on his chair and she was standing about two feet away from him.

_"I don't know what you're talking about."_ She said._ "I didn't do this for you! I love him!"_

_"Love?"_ He sneered._ "You're not capable of that! You left me, remember, your own brother?"_

_"You deserved that and you know it!"_

_"Yes…perhaps I do."_ He said, _"But you…you deserve much, much worse."_

_"What are you going to do?"_She asked nervously.

_"Oh, nothing really…"_ Joseph said. _"I'm just wondering what your precious Randy would do if he finds out everything…if he finds out the truth."_

_"You're not going to do any such thing!"_ She said angrily. _"You're not going to come anywhere near him! Do you understand me?"  
><em>  
>She was going to go at him and hit him, but she couldn't move. It was like her feet were stuck right where she was standing. She couldn't even move her arms either. It's like something was binding her, holding her down.<p>

On the other hand Joseph was pulling farther and farther from her, laughing his head off maniacally.

_"My poor, poor little Arianne…"_ He said, _"This is what happens when you're not being an obedient little girl to your brother!"_

_"You're not my brother!"_ She yelled, crying in frustration and fright. _"You stay away from him! Do you hear me? Stay away from him!"_

…and that's when she woke up…

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

She woke up with a jolt, but it wasn't enough to wake up Randy who was sleeping beside her, with an arm and leg draped on top of her chest and thighs.

She looked at him, in the dimness of the room. It was just a dream after all—a nightmare, she told herself. But she couldn't relax still.

She could feel him breathing slowly, consistently and softly in her ear. He looked so peaceful, she thought. Not a trace of that ferocity and intensity he always shows in the ring.

She pulled her arm out from under his slowly, cautiously, and touched his face gently—tracing every line, every curve, and every bend on it.

She couldn't help but tear up. What if her dream, her nightmare comes true? What if Joseph finds a way to get to Randy and tell him everything?

She doesn't want to lose him. She can't bear losing someone who means a lot to her anymore, especially when that someone owns her whole heart.

She kissed him at the tip of his nose softly, and looked at him again. Then slowly she slipped out from under his arm and leg, carefully, so as not to wake him up. It's like he's making himself heavier, so she struggled for a bit but she did it.

She sat at the foot of the bed for a while, with her elbows on her knees, staring into nothing, thinking about her dream. He felt the blanket slipping off of him, stirring him awake.

Suddenly a subtle smile lined the corner of Randy's lips and got bigger as he opened his eyes slowly when he saw her. She had the blanket wrapped around her, but not completely.

"Hey…" He said, sleepily.

He slinks over to her slowly, slipping his hand under the sheet through the opening behind her, and around her waist. He trailed kisses from her nape down her spine before he sat beside her.

That's when he saw the trace of tears on her cheeks glimmer as it reflected the moon's light even after she had wiped them off.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" He asked, worried, tipping her face towards him. "Does it…still hurt?"

She laughed a little at the worried look in his eyes. "No…" She touched his face for a moment, and then she turned towards him and put her arms around him and embraced him. "These are tears of joy." She whispered, "I love you."

He kissed her forehead and held her in his arms for a while. He felt good having her there, in his arms, holding him back. She feels so smooth and soft against his body. In her arms, he feels like everything was good, bright and colorful. He felt happy.

"I'm happy too." He said.

She caught site of the clock on the wall and remembered her flight. "I think I should go now." She sighed, "My flight's in less than two hours."

"Nah…" He grunted.

He lay back on the bed without letting her go, putting her on top of him since he didn't let go of his hold around her waist.

"I think you should just stay." He told her.

"Oh, yeah?" She said giggling.

"Yeah." He said, "You're never gonna make it there in time. Just take a later flight."

"Hmm…I guess you're right." She said, "What do we do in the meantime?"

"I've got a few ideas…" He said, as he went for a kiss.

* * *

><p>.<p>

_A/N: Thanks all for reading. :) I hope you liked this chapter. Hope you hear from you all about what you think. _


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

.

.

**_Birmingham, Alabama_**  
><strong><em>The following week…<em>**

.

"Arianne!" Cody called out when he saw her.

He'd been wondering what had happened after he left her and Randy. She didn't show up for the house shows over the weekend because apparently she had to report to the headquarters in Stamford for an emergency meeting with the creative staff.

He was a bit worried as well, because she hadn't been answering his text messages. So when he saw her, he wanted to know how she was doing.

"Oh! Hey, Codeman..." She said, as if she had no care in the world. "What up?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." He said, "You weren't replying to my texts."

"Sorry, I've been kind of busy…working on storylines and all that." She said, "Oh, and I've changed my number."

She changed her number because she didn't want Joseph to be able to reach her. The only people who know about it are the other members of the creative team, her bosses the McMahons, and Randy.

"Speaking of storylines, where's Randy?" She asked."I need to run this script through him for later."

"I'll take it to him if you want." Cody offered.

He thought things could only have gone more awry between the two, with the way he left them that night at the hotel.

But he was more than a bit reluctant to ask Randy about it, although he seems to be in a good mood, so he really had no idea about what happened.

"It's okay, I'll do it." She said.

They didn't see Randy walked in backstage, laughing with Santino. When he saw them he told Santino to be quiet as he sneaked up behind them.

He stood behind Arianne quietly and suddenly poked her on her sides, making her jump and yell expletives that he found funny because he's never heard her say it before.

She yelled loud enough to warrant everyone else to look at their direction.

"It's okay! Everyone, nothing's wrong here. She's fine!" Randy said, laughing.

"That was not funny!" She said, hitting him with the rolled up folder repeatedly. "You scared the shit outta me!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were so jumpy." He said, trying to elude her strikes but to no avail.

"Whatever!" She shook her head.

Cody was just stunned that the two seem to have no issues between them whatsoever. His curiosity about what happened after he left them to talk peaked, and he just had to ask.

"Okay…hold on. So…everything's all right with you two now?"

Arianne and Randy looked at each other and realized they were being too cozy, so they inched away from each other.

"Sure…we're ah…we had a really good long…discussion…after you left." Randy said, trying not to smile, looking at Arianne.

Arianne looked a little uncomfortable, and was starting to blush. "Yeah…and you know, weagreeto just put it behind us."

"Really?" Cody asked, still in disbelief.

"Yeah."Randy, "She's my writer, we have to work together…we should be professionals."

"Speaking of being a professional…" She said, while gesturing quote marks. "You're late."

"Didn't you get my message?" He asked, "I texted you. I said we had to make stops at a couple of gas stations because Santino had to go number two."

"Eeww…" She said, "That's too much information."

Randy just laughed, and took the script from her. "Come on, walk with me. Tell me what evil thing I'm supposed to do tonight." He said, pulling his luggage

"Well…you're going to have a Street Fight…with Flair…" She said, walking alongside him.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

Since then, their relationship looks just the same as it was before from the outside. Everything was back to normal and slowly all the rumors about their supposed affair had died down, which was probably due in part because they were more careful now in hiding the real status of their relationship.

From the outside, they were exactly just how they were before, joking and teasing each other, and all that. Everyone just got used to it.

But nobody sees what happens when it's just the two of them alone together. Nobody knows how they are like when the lights are out, how close and intimate they are.

They make the most of those moments as much as they can, at least in the first few weeks. But as their relationship grew, it seems their time spent together wasn't enough anymore so they had to resort to sneaky tactics any chance they get.

.

* * *

><p><em>Before—<em>

.

Arianne's talking with Ted and Cody, when Randy arrived came for her…

"So is everything clear?" She asked them.

"Yeah, yeah…just have to memorize these_ five_ lines." Ted said, sarcastically.

"There you are!" Randy said when he found them, but looking specifically at Arianne. "I've been looking for you the whole day."

"We just saw each other this morning at the hotel." Arianne said.

"Yeah…but ah…I wanted to clear something out about tonight's show…" Randy said, "Could you come with me to my dressing room…I really need to...**_discuss_**...something with you, right now."

She didn't get what he was trying to say though, "Can't we discuss here?"

He gave her a look like he's saying come on. "No, we can't…I want to try something new with my character and I want to show you in **_private_**."

She still didn't look like she got what he was trying to tell her.

"Just come with me!" He said grabbing her arm, and half-dragged her in frustration.

"Whoa! Okay! We'll continue later, guys." She told Ted and Cody as she walked along.

"What was that about?" Ted asked Cody.

"Beats me." Cody said, "They're both weird."

As soon as he got her in his dressing room and locked the door, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close to him.

"I thought we were going to discuss something." She smiled. "Or is **_discuss_** become like a codeword for us now?"

"Shut up and kiss me." He said.

* * *

><p>.<p>

_During—_

.

Randy just finished shooting the backstage segment with Mr. McMahon, after finishing a Last Man Standing Match against Triple H. He was on his way to the shower room to clean himself when somebody suddenly pulled him inside an empty storeroom.

"What the…mmnnn…"

He didn't finish what he was going to say anymore because she had jumped on hi and kissed him already. She didn't even care if he was still covered in baby oil.

"You looked so hot out there…" She said, stopping for a bit.

"You think so, huh?" He smiled, lifting her up, letting her wrap her legs around his hips as she put her arms around his shoulders. "I still have to…shoot the closing…scene at the parking though…" He said, in between kisses.

"I know…I wrote that scene in…that's why we need to make this quick." She said, breathlessly, pulling away for a second.

"Now, what's that thing you always tell me? Oh, that's right…shut up and kiss me!"

"Yes, ma'am." He said.

* * *

><p>.<p>

_And after shows…_

.

Everyone was supposed to go to a restaurant after the show as they usually do when they perform at that city. Arianne was supposed to ride with Ted, Cody and Beth but she left the arena before the main event.

"I thought you were riding with Randy?" Cody asked Santino. "Where is he?"

Santino was already there for quite a bit when he got there with Ted and Beth. The other guys and staff were just starting to come in as well.

"He just dropped me off." Santino said. "Seems like he's in a hurry…he was driving like a maniac."

He was in a hurry. Arianne had told him she was going to take the next week off during the SummerSlam weekend because of some important matter she had to attend to.

So he wanted to meet up with her before they went their separate ways and make the most of it.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

Of course, in any relationship, especially one such as theirs, it's not always gonna be always rainbows and butterflies. There are instances that they can't be together.

One such occasion is that September's Summer Slam weekend. Just like WrestleMania, everyone and their families usually come to the tour with the Superstars and Divas.

And of course, Randy's wife was going to be there. So, Arianne decided to skip the whole event and went to stay with a friend in New York, instead. She only told Randy that she had to attend to some important matters as an excuse.

The farther she is, the less she'd feel lonely being away from Randy. Or so she thought.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

**_New York, August 23, 2009 Sunday_**  
><strong><em>(The same time Summer Slam PPV is happening in LA)<em>**

.

It's the third night Arianne's stayed with her friend, Cat. Of the few close friends she has, she was one of her most trusted.

She was always like the big sister to her when they were in college, so Cat was the only one she's told about her affair with Randy.

Of course, Cat is against it. She didn't try to convince her straightforwardly to stop it. But seeing her friend looking as miserable as Arianne is, she had to try somehow.

Arianne was on her laptop looking at photos on the website when Cat came out of her room.

"Are you sure you don't want to go out with us tonight?" Cat asked.

Arianne suddenly closed the lid of her laptop, "Yeah, I'm sure." She said, putting her laptop behind her.

"Come on, Ari…" Cat sighed, "You've been here since yesterday and you haven't gone out with your friends. Not even with me." She sat beside Arianne on the couch.

"I'm just not in the mood…" Arianne smiled, tiredly.

Cat grabbed her laptop and moved to the other seat so Ari can't reach her. She opened it and saw the page she was looking at.

She was looking at Randy's pictures from the Axxess and the Summer Slam kickoff Party the day before. There was a picture of Randy with his wife, looking happy and very much together.

"Has he even called you yet?" Cat asked.

"No." She sighed, "I don't expect him to. As you can see…he's with his wife."

"Oh, of course…that's why you're so depressed." Cat rolled her eyes, "You do know this is how it's going to be when you got in that relationship didn't you?"

Arianne stood up and took her laptop from her. "I know." She said. She could feel her eyes get warm and her vision blurry. "But what can I do? I love him, Cat."

Cat has never seen Arianne that way so she believed this to be true. She wants to feel happy for her, knowing all about her history, being adopted and all.

She knows what Arianne's been through with her parents' death especially, and if it had been with anybody else, she'd have been completely happy that Arianne has found someone.

"I know you do." Cat said, "But are you sure this is all worth it? Has he even told you that he loves you back?"

Arianne thought for a minute, trying to recall if he has told her those three words and much to her distress, she realized he hasn't told her he loves her.

Not once since they got into their affair. But she refuses to admit what it could imply.

"No…but he doesn't need to…" She said. She stood up and walked towards the window, just so Cat won't see her tear fall. "I know he does. He makes me feel that all the time when we're together."

"What? When he's _fucking your brains out_?" Cat said, in a mix of frustration and vexation. "God, Arianne! Are you listening to yourself? Aren't you supposed to be the smart one?"

Arianne looked back at her, "Look, you don't know anything." She told her, "You don't know how he makes me feel. You don't know how we are together."

She wiped the tears that had started to flow, "You don't get to judge! I love him and I know he loves me. Everything else doesn't matter."

Then she covered her face with her hands because she couldn't stop her tears anymore. "Why can't you just be happy for me?" She said, "I didn't come here for this."

Cat felt a little guilty then, or maybe she just felt sorry for her friend. Either way, she felt bad for making her feel bad, when the reason she came there in the first place was to not feel that way.

"I'm sorry." Cat said, "But you're not really helping yourself looking at those pictures of him with his wife."

She took the box of tissue on the side table and gave it to Arianne. She took them and wiped her tears off.

"Listen, I'll stop haranguing you about it if you come with me tonight." She told Arianne.

She tucked her hair behind her ears. "You need to relax, just forget about everything for a night. That's why you're here right? Have some fun with our friends. They know you're here, I told them. They want to see you. "

Arianne considered it for a second. "You didn't tell them anything about…Randy, did you?"

"No." Cat said, "Of course not. You're Little Miss Perfect, remember? They'd never believe me if I told them! So what do you say? You're not gonna make me beg, are you?"

"Well…I did come here to relax." Arianne said, "Give me a minute a dress up?"

"You got ten minutes."

* * *

><p>So Arianne went with Cat to meet their friends at <strong>Touch Night Club<strong>.

She enjoyed herself for a while but then her friends started to mingle with everyone else—more specifically with some other guys at the club, and she didn't feel like doing the same.

She was never really much of a club going person even before. Aside from that, she didn't want to cheat on Randy in any way, no matter how ironic that seems.

Her friends teased her about being so secretive about her '_boyfriend_', and Cat was giving her sympathetic smile.

Every one of them knew Arianne was always a great story teller. She can tell the most boring and simple stories and make it more lively and interesting just with the way she talked.

And she knew that if Arianne wasn't in such a relationship, if it was only with a guy who was not married—if it was anyone else other than Randy Orton, she would be more than willing to share her stories and they all would've shared in her happiness.

* * *

><p>It was around 11:30 in the evening, New York time, and they were still at the club. But she keeps checking her watch, thinking it was about time for Randy to get in the ring back in LA, and she promised him she was going to watch him on TV.<p>

Cat found it annoying though and dragged her to the bar to get some more drinks.

But then some guy asked Cat to dance and she left Arianne by herself at the bar. That's when another guy approached her.

"Hi." The guy said.

She looked at him, "Hi." she said back, with a discreet smile.

"I'm Richard." He said, offering a handshake.

"Arianne." She said, shaking his hand, if a bit halfhearted.

"You come here often?" Richard asked, moving a seat closer to her.

"No…I'm just visiting with friends." She said.

"Oh, cool." He said, "Can I buy you a drink? Yours is almost finished."

She paused for a while, thinking about it. She supposed there was nothing wrong with it. "Sure, why not?" She said, "I could use another."

In all of that, Cat was keeping an eye on her, and was pleased to see that Arianne had started mingling with other people.

In fact she was pleased enough to take a picture of Arianne and Richard with her phone while they were talking close to each other because it was hard to hear with the loud music and all.

.

* * *

><p><em>AN I want to thank everyone for continuing to follow this story. I'd love to hear from you. Oh, and also, try listening to "Right Kind of Wrong" by Leanne Rhimes while reading. Should set the mood very well. lol :)_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

.

.

Arianne took a flight straight from New York to Las Vegas that Monday, because she had to be on a meeting as ordered by the Chairman himself. And because it's his birthday, they had to make the show extra special.

Randy tried calling Arianne but she wasn't picking up her phone, so his calls were all getting redirected to her voice mailbox. He assumed that maybe she was busy or just out of coverage area.

They were all supposed to stay in the same hotel anyway, so he was sure he was going to see her when he gets there.

The truth is, she just didn't want to talk to him at the moment. Staying with Cat made her think about their relationship. She made her question a lot of things, like where she expected things to go and how she would be so much better off having a relationship with someone else who's not a married man.

Cat made her think if Randy actually really has feelings for her—if he actually loves her and not just using her to satisfy his needs and desires. He's never said those words to her. Never. Not even when she says it first, and she had said it a lot.

She defended him, telling Cat that he's taking a risk being in a relationship with her. But Cat told her she was the one who was making the bigger risk by not only putting her job and reputation on the line, but also her future and what could have been.

But what if all of what Cat had insinuated was true? She dismissed all of it outwardly, but it kills her silently inside when she thinks about it. She didn't even heed to her suggestion to entertain Richard, the guy she met at the bar.

She gave him Cat's number instead of hers just because she didn't want to be cheating on Randy in any way, but what if that was her chance for redemption—for real happiness in the arms of someone else?

_Happiness_. Is there such a thing when all her heart was screaming for is the only man she can never have completely?

.

Finally, Randy arrived at the arena they were staying. After he got settled in his dressing room, he went out and looked for Arianne and found her just as she was coming out of the conference room after a meeting with the Creative Staff.

She was with Stephanie when he approached, but she was about to leave.

"There you are!" He said to Arianne. "Stephanie." He said, acknowledging her.

"Randy." Stephanie said back, as she stood up. "I'll see you later, Ari." She said to Arianne.

"Okay." Arianne said.

Randy sat down beside her. "Been looking all over for you."

She sighed. She wanted to hug him right then, feeling like something was gripping at her heart, but she kept herself from doing so.

"Well, you found me." She said, as un-emphatically as she could, barely glancing at him.

She turned her laptop off and closed the lid, and then put it inside her bag. Randy was just trying to read what her mood is, but he couldn't. She was almost like a wall of ice, too cold and too blank to read anything.

She stood up and started heading out the room. He got up and followed her to parking area inside the arena where her rental car is. She didn't tell him to go away, which she would have no problem saying if that was what she wanted.

He looked around making sure no one was there before he spoke again.

"I missed you last week." He said, trying to get a reaction from her.

"Really?" She said, in the same manner as before, coldly. "I'm sure you did."

"Okay, what's going on?" Randy asked, confused because he just then realized that she was mad at him and he didn't know why. "Talk to me."

"I don't want to talk about it right now." She said.

"Did something happen to you in New York?" He turned to her and put his hands on her shoulder. "You know you can tell me anything."

She looked at him and just like every other time, when he looks at her with his eyes so mellow, she feel her walls breaking down. But she just doesn't want to tell him about it.

"I know…Nothing happened." She said, taking his hands off her shoulders slowly. "Not in New York anyway."

And that's when it finally hit him. "Is this about…Sam?"

"Randy, please." She sighed. "I really don't want to talk about this right now."

"When are we gonna talk about it then?" He asked.

She touched his face and she wanted so much to kiss him, but she can't. It all just hurts too much right then.

"Soon." She said, "Just…just let me get over this for a while. I'll come to you."

Something told him he shouldn't force the issue, and let her go. He figured maybe she wasn't ready to talk about it because she's confused.

Besides, he doesn't know how he was going to feel or if he's ready to hear it if she happens to be having second thoughts about their relationship. He doesn't even want to think about it right now.

He hated that feeling. It was like when he was trying to avoid her and push her away, except now he feels like she's the one pulling away from him and it seems to hurt ten times more.

She got on her rental car and left her stuff there, then she headed back to the lift and he let her go without a word. He stood there like he was planted right where he was, watching her walk farther and farther away, even though he wanted so much to go after her, until the elevator door closed.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**_Later that night…_**

**_._**

"Are you and Arianne fighting again?" Cody asked.

He, Ted and Randy were in the dressing room after the show, getting ready to leave the arena. He'd noticed that Randy and Arianne barely spoke to each other since they got there. They barely even look at each other, and he just had to ask.

"Why would they be fighting?"Ted asked.

"I don't know." Cody said. "It's just so obvious that they are."

Ted looked at him, as if he just asked Randy to kill him, like he can't believe he just said that.

"Look, Codeman…" Randy sighed. "I know your heart is in the right place, and you're just being a good friend." He zipped his bag then, and looked at Cody. "But I don't believe that's any of your business."

And then he up and left. Cody and Ted just stood silent for a few seconds after he got out of the room.

"They are, aren't they?" Ted asked. "It's so obvious."

"Yeah…" Cody said, "I swear, it's like dealing with quarreling parents, except they aren't."

That week ended without the two of them resolving their issues. Randy went home and kept himself occupied. He spent all his time with his family, and busied himself with hobbies, keeping his mind off Arianne as much as he could.

But when he's by himself, he can't help but think about her. What was she going to tell him when she finally decides to talk to him about it?

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**_Detroit, MI August 31, 2009, Monday_**

.

The last couple of days, Arianne and Randy still hadn't talked about their problems. She eludes him mostly, knowing that if he talks to him—if he so much as touches her, that she would lose her resolve. But after days of mulling it over, Arianne finally decided to talk to Randy.

She sent him a message after that night's house show asking to see him and to meet her at the hotel she's staying in. He left the arena after the show, and drove there as quickly as he can and almost got a speeding ticket. Luckily for him, the cop was a fan and let him go with a warning.

She was talking to her friend Cat over the phone when he got there.

"I'll talk to you later, Cat." She said over the phone. "He's here."

She put the phone down and got the door. As soon as he got inside, Randy grabbed and kissed her before she could even close the door.

"God, Ari, I missed you." He managed to say.

He felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest. He missed her in ways he couldn't even explain even though they see each other all the time.

He missed holding her in his arms, the touch of her skin, the smell of her hair, and the taste of her lips. Arianne feels the same way, but there were matters she needed to bring up first.

"We need to talk." She said instead, taking his hands off her face.

He doesn't know what it is, but those four words made him scared, like it's some kind of bad omen. He stood there at the middle of the room, not even knowing where to sit. Normally, he'd be sitting on the bed, but Arianne pulled out a chair for him instead.

"Take a seat." She said.

Randy sat down and waited for her to speak. It's like every second made him more scared, and he can feel his heart beat go faster, until he couldn't keep quiet anymore.

"Ari, just tell me what this is about…"

"About last week…what happened in New York…" Ari started to say before her phone rang again. "I'll just…excuse me."

She stood up and went to balcony to take the call. Randy just sat there, trying to relax. He saw Arianne's laptop on the bed and decided to tinker with it for a while.

.

**_At the balcony…_**

.

"Cat, what is it?" Arianne said on the phone. "I said I'll call you later, Randy's here."

"It's important!" Cat said, "I accidentally sent you something on your email!"

"What? What did you send?"

"Remember Richard?"

"Richard…? Richard who?" She asked.

"You know, that guy you met at the bar last week." Cat said, "You can't possibly have forgotten about him already, even if you're dating _your wrestler_!"

She remembered then. She gave him Cat's number instead when he asked for hers. "Okay, so what about him?"

"Well, I saw him the other night and he asked about you." Cat said, "He texted me before and I told him I'm not you."

"So?"

"So, he should've gotten the point that you weren't into him if you gave him the wrong number, right?" Cat said, "But he's still interested in you."

"Shit! Did you give him my number?"

"Hell, no!" Cat said, "I know you won't talk to him anyway…especially when _your wrestler's _around. That guy could hurt you!"

"He's not gonna hurt me, he's not like that!" Arianne said, defending Randy. "That's just his character on TV, he's not that way in person."

"Fine, whatever."

"So what did you accidentally sent me?" Arianne asked, getting exasperated.

"Oh, right that…" Cat said, "The picture of the two of you talking really close at the bar…It was on my drafts and I was supposed to send it to you last week, but I changed my mind…but I accidentally hit send…"

"F**k!" Arianne said.

She wasn't really listening to Cat anymore because she remembered she left her laptop on at the bed and Randy was there.

"I'll call you later…"

She dropped the call and hurriedly went back in the room where she saw Randy tinkering with her laptop with a grim look on his face that made her nervous.

He was looking at her email, and he opened the one that had just come in because it said "NYC pic", and he got curious.

"Randy…"

"Who's this guy?" He asked, in clenched jaw.

"It's nobody…" She said. She took the laptop from him and closed the lid.

To her surprise Randy stood up and grabbed the thing from her and threw it back on the bed, before grabbing her arm.

"Is that why you've been avoiding me? Why you've been cold to me?"

"Randy, let me go!" She told him, "You're hurting my arm!" She pulled her arm off from his grip but he just grabbed her again.

"Tell me who the hell that is and why you're with that son of a bitch!" He was getting angrier by the second. "What? Is he better than me? Are you f**king this guy now? Is that it? Tell me!"

She just lost her temper then because of what he said, and slapped him really hard on the face that knocked him down to the bed. But she suddenly realized what she did.

"I'm…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…" She sat down beside him, and tried to aide him.

"Don't!" He said, holding his cheek. "Don't touch me!" He stood up then and started towards the door. "If you want to get out of this relationship, go right ahead!"

"That's right, walk away! You would like that, wouldn't you?" She yelled. "You've been waiting for a way out!"

"**Me?** What about you?" He turned around and charged towards her angrily. "**What about you**…and that bas***d in that picture! That's why you've been different since you came back from New York, isn't it?" He screamed down at her.

"It's not even what it looks like!" She said. "We weren't kissing! We were just talking…but you'd rather believe what you're thinking!" She started to cry then. "But you know what? You're right…I was different after I came back from New York. Staying there made me think of a lot of things about this relationship!"

**"Yeah? Well, fine then!" **He said. He turned around because he didn't want to see her crying, and also he was really still pissed off. "Run off with that a**hole if that's what you want!" He walked towards the door again.

**"It's not what I want!"** She cried after him, "Don't you get it? There's nothing between me and that guy! I just met him there! I didn't even give him my number! _I want to be with you…_and I don't even know if you feel the same!"

Something she said caught his attention and made him stop on his tracks. What did she mean she doesn't know if he feels the same? He wanted to ask, but something inside him was making him hesitant to do so.

But he didn't really have to ask.

.

"See, Randy,_ I know where I stand_." She said. "I know I can't have you completely. And that's okay because _I love you_. I'm giving everything in this relationship even though I know we might never have a future together. I'm sacrificing that right now!"

She slumped on the bed, "And I'm contented with whatever you can give me…I make do with anything you could give me, no matter how little because I love you, and I thought it would be enough…but I don't even know if there's really something I'm holding on to when you're so ready to jump at the opportunity to end this!"

She paused for a second to catch her breath, and look at him still standing by the door.

"Randy, I don't even know if you love me or you're just keeping me around to keep you company…_to satisfy your needs_." She said.

She covered her face with both her hands then because she was tearing up so much. He turned around slowly to look at her and saw how miserable she is.

He walked towards her uncertainly. Every part of him wanted to hold her and take her into his arms at the same time he was unsure if he should.

"You know I do..." He said, softly.

"No, I don't." She said, "Not when you can't even say it back when I tell you I love you. You can't even say it now!"

"You know how I feel about you…" He insisted.

"What? That you _want_ me? That you _need_ me?" She asked. "Because that's _all _you ever tell me!"

"No!" He said, frustrated. "Not just that! Come on…"

"Then tell me…I need to know, Randy." She said, taking his hands, almost pleading to him. "I need to know if there's _something _I'm holding on to."

"I…" He started to say, but he couldn't say it. He was holding her hands, trying to find the words but it just won't come out. "Arianne…I…"

Arianne just felt more hurt with his hesitation.

Here was his chance to say it, being put in the spot and he still couldn't say the three words she wanted, needed to hear. And that was it for her. It was like a slap in the face, only a hundred times more painful, more scathing.

She pulled her hands off his slowly. It was like the hardest thing to do because it felt like it was her heart she was taking back. And that's what Randy felt to as he felt her hands slip away from his hands, and him being powerless to stop it.

"Please leave." She said softly.

"Ari…"

"Just…please…go."

Her voice was shaking as she said those words, trying to at least maintain her dignity—what's left of it. Randy slowly stood up and walked towards the door, with each step he's taking making his heart heavier, and each sound of his footsteps felt like a sharp knife striking at her heart.

He heard her sobbing softly behind him. But he couldn't turn around. Not when he knew it was his fault and there was nothing he could do to make it better. He gripped the door knob and he felt like he couldn't breathe.

He squeezed it tighter; his hand turning pale from the lack of circulation, hoping it would relieve the pain in his chest to no avail. He could feel his body starting to shake then from the effort he was exerting.

If he gripped that door knob tighter he could've broken it. He opened the door and stepped out of the room and let the door go—like he let go of her just then.

She heard the door close slowly on its own, with a click as it slid in its place. A click that sounded like a scissor snipping at a string that was connecting her to him—and that was when she cried her heart out.

* * *

><p><strong>AN** _Admit it, you cried. lol Anyway, I just want to thank you all again for reading. And to the new ones who have recently subscribed to the story, I would love to hear from you as well. Let me know what you think. Thank you all! :)_


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N** I apologize for the long delay, I have been really busy these past couple of week. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :) As always, feedbacks and comments are appreciated. _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

.

Back in her suite, Arianne was curled up clutching at her pillow, but she wasn't crying anymore. She'd been crying for the past hour and she got tired of it.

She sat up on her bed then and decided to call her friend Cat back. She took her phone from the pocket and dialed her number.

"Cat…"

"Ari!" Cat said as soon as she picked up. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"We broke up." She said; her voice almost inaudible. "It's over…"

"Oh, Ari…" Cat said.

With so few words, she could already feel how her friend was suffering. She tried to come up with something to tell her to console her, but she knew there wasn't anything that would be enough.

"Stay strong, Ari." She said, firmly. "Everything will be fine. Just be strong."

She knew how much she loves Randy, that's why she was more surprised at Arianne's response. Especially with the way she said it.

"I know." Ari said, she said steadily. "I'll be just fine."

But in truth, she was saying it more for herself. She's alone again. She had to come to terms with that fact, and

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

Randy went to his rental car, but didn't leave immediately. He just sat there staring into the blank wall in front of his car. He was holding his keys into the ignition but he couldn't turn it to start the engine. It's like he was paralyzed and he couldn't move no matter how he tried to will himself to.

So many things were going through his mind. _What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he tell her what she wanted—what she needed to hear from him? _He used to just throw those three words around so easily._ What's different this time?  
><em>  
>He replayed the whole event in his mind, over and over. There were a several things that really struck him. One was when she said he had never told her he loves her. Not even when she says it to him first.<p>

He tried to recall all the times they've been together. Has he really been remiss in saying those words to her? He wanted to say it. He wanted to tell her he loves her because he does. He knows that. So why can't he?

Maybe because he knows there's a lot of things hanging in the balance that depended on it. Arianne was right. There might not be a future for them.

Perhaps it was better this way—to end everything now, and let her out while she can. She's still young, she can find someone else much better than him. Someone that can give her the future she deserves. Someone who can give her what she needed.

He is married after all, and he loves his wife too, and that was one factor. He wished he could split his heart in two equally, but he can't, and that's ultimately what was making things so hard for him. As hard as it was, he forced himself to start the engine and drive the car back to this hotel.

Tomorrow he would be flying home. Tomorrow he would start—try, to forget about Arianne. _Tomorrow he will start mourning.  
><em>

* * *

><p>.<p>

**St. Louis, MO. The following Thursday**

**.**

"You ready to go?" Sam asked.

Randy didn't hear her though. He was sitting on the bed staring at the floor. He was already packed and she was supposed to drive him to the airport that evening so he could be in St. Paul, MN early, but he didn't really feel like leaving yet.

"Hey…" She sat beside him. "Is everything okay?"

She noticed he'd been quiet most of the time since coming home that week, but she didn't really bother to ask him if something was bothering him. She often catches him that way, staring into space.

He looked at her, trying to make a happy face, even though his eyes tells another story.

"Yeah. Everything's just fine." He said, really more to convince himself than anything else. "I was just thinking maybe I should just leave tomorrow morning instead."

"Well, it's only a couple hours' flight. You could call the airline now if you want." She said.

"Yeah…" Randy said, "I think I will."

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

He got to the venue in St. Paul that afternoon directly from the airport. Some of the other guys were already there, and even though he wasn't, he was impulsively looking for Arianne, looking up every time a newcomer arrives.

And then there she was. And she looked different—much different. It's like she was blooming. She always kept her hair off her face and tied up in a pony tail, but she had it down this time with her natural curls.

Her clothes were tighter, showing off her curves. Her skirt shorter, showing her legs off more. Even the kind of shoes she's wearing had higher heels. Her face which was usually bare aside from powder and lipstick was more striking with make-up that accentuated her features.

There was also a change in her whole demeanor. Gone was her shy little smile, replaced by a confident one, like she was sure of everything she was doing.

What she was doing was showing she's recovered from him. She's showing him she's tougher, better, stronger—that she's ready to move on. And to everyone else, that she's available to anyone who dare try.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her. They were stuck to her like glue. He couldn't believe what seemed like a total an utter metamorphosis she'd gone through in less than a week after their bitter break-up. There was no shadow of the girl he left in the hotel room, crying her eyes out.

He doesn't know whether to feel good about her very quick recovery or not, because if he was being honest with his self, seeing her like that felt like a slap to his face. That's why he couldn't speak.

"Whoa! Ari…!" Cody said, "You look _ravishing_!"

"Why, thank you." Arianne said, "You look _dashing_yourself." She looked at him nonchalantly. "Randy."

"Why are you dressed like that? Did you go somewhere important you had to make an impression at?" Cody asked, "You're not looking for another job, are you?"

"No, I'm not going anywhere." She smiled. "I love my job. I just thought it was time for a change…" She looked at Randy, "Out with the old, in with the new…right, Randy?"

He didn't say anything. He just looked at her straight in the eyes, trying to see beyond what she's showing, because this isn't the person—the woman he fell for.

But then she withdrew her eyes from him. She couldn't look at him that way as much as she wanted to, because it's killing her inside. He saw that and he knew then she was still in there. He knew then she was just putting a façade.

He shifted his eyes away from her then too. He couldn't look at her, knowing it was his fault. Knowing that what he did warranted this from her. Maybe it was better that way.

Maybe if she wore that façade long enough it will become reality. Maybe she'd become tougher and stronger for real. At that moment, that's what they were both hoping for.

"I gotta go, have to meet with the team." She said, looking more at Cody than him even though she was addressing them both. "I'll see you guys around."

She took a deep breath before turning around and strutting away. Randy looked after her as she made her way, seeing everyone she passed pay her a second look. It irked him a little.  
>It wasn't that long ago, she was his after all. He was thinking about that when Cody suddenly elbowed his ribs a little.<p>

"Dude, she looks so hot!" Cody exclaimed.

"Shut up, man." He said before splitting.

He just seems to get pissed off more and more every time he sees any guy talking to Arianne backstage, whether from the crew or a fellow wrestler but most especially the one he knew weren't married.

It makes him even angrier when she seems to entertain their advances. So angry in fact, that he took it out by ripping a couple of fan signs. Nobody really noticed that, and thought he was just trying to get heat from the audience—which he did.

And it just gets worse every time. She doesn't even pay attention to him anymore except when she has to talk to him regarding his storylines.

She's gotten used to being and acting casual towards him in front of other people, but she never really talk to him alone, because then, when it's just the two of them, it's harder to pretend.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**Sept. 14, 2009 Montreal, Quebec, Canada – Breaking Point**

**.**

Randy had his shoulder checked out after his "I Quit" match against John Cena. He was minding it for a bit, so the trainers wanted to check it out. But he just tweaked it a little, and it was nothing he couldn't handle.

He was really more annoyed at the fact that Arianne didn't even bother to check up on him, unlike before when she would be the first one to come to him when he walks in through the curtain to ask if he was really hurt.

It's not like she didn't know either. She was right there when the trainers told him to get his shoulder checked, and she didn't even give him a second look and walked away instead.

She doesn't have to care about him the same way she did before, but she was still his writer and she should at least inquire about his well being to know how best to work the storyline around him.

That's what was eating him as he got on the bus that was going to take them to Toronto for the next night's Raw. He was going to sit at his usual seat but Arianne was sitting there already by herself. She saw him and thought she should get up and move to another seat.

"Sorry, I forgot…" She said, grabbing her bag.

"No!" He said, putting his hand on her bag. "Stay there…you don't have to move."

She usually sits there too, beside him, when they all travel together. He almost thought she sat there so they could talk. He almost expected her to ask him to sit beside her, but she didn't.

"Great." She said, coldly, before putting her I-pod's earpiece on and looking out the window.

Every little thing she does to make him feel ignored had the utmost effect, and that almost made him wince. He knows he should probably move on from it, since it looks like she's already done so. Besides, it was him who left—involuntarily, maybe, but still.

How apropos, he thought, if this was a scripted, now would probably be the right time for him to say he quits, just like he did earlier in the ring in his match with Cena. But as much as it hurts, he just couldn't.

He moved slowly to the seat behind hers where Santino was already sleeping, occupying both seats. He nudged his leg a little bit to wake him up.

"Are we there yet?" Santino suddenly said, jolting up.

"No, we haven't left yet." Randy said, shaking his head. "Scoot over."

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

**September 29, 2009 Albany, NY**

**.**

Earlier that evening, before Monday Night Raw, Arianne's friend Cat came to visit her at the arena. She wanted to see how Arianne was doing, since the last time they talked was when Randy walked out on her.

They've talked before on the phone for a few times, but she knows Ari and even though she says she was doing okay, she had to see for herself. She was stunned at what she saw.

"Oh, my gosh Ari!" She said when Ari came out to meet her. "You look so different!"

Ari smiled, "I thought it was time for a change." She said, "Come on, walk with me…I'll introduce you to the others."

"Ooh! How exciting!"

They went the rounds and Ari introduced Cat to everyone they bumped into, especially Ted and Cody. Cat ended up inviting them to the newly opened club she was working at. It was going to have a grand opening that night and there was going to be free drinks, so the boys said they were going.

"Okay, tell me, are you dating one of them?" Cat asked when the boys were out of earshot.

"What?" Ari laughed, "No, I'm not. Why?"

"What do you mean why not?" Cat said, "They're cute, especially that one with the brown hair…Ted."

"Catherine, he's married." Arianne said.

That's when they bumped into Randy in the hallway. He looked at her, but quickly withdrew, putting his head down instead as he walked past them.

"Oh, yeah…we have to _stay away from married guys_." Cat said, intentionally letting Randy hear her. "They're all _bad news_ and _bring us nothing but heart ache_."

"Cat…" Ari tried pacifying her. "He'll hear you."

"Let him hear me." Cat said, "He should know how much pain he's put you through."

Arianne didn't say anything, but Cat could see it was getting to her. She realized then that she was right. Even with the changes, even if she's showing everyone that she's moved on—after everything, her friend is still in love with Randy.

"Fine…" Cat sighed, rolling her eyes. "I guess I'm gonna go now. I'll see you at the club, ok?"

"I'm not sure I'll make it." Arianne said.

"Come on! Ted and Cody's gonna come…you have to be there, you're the one I really want to come. Richard wants you to come, too."

"Richard?" She asked, "Richard who?"

"You're not serious, are you?" She asked. Arianne had a blank look on her face because she was really clueless on who Richard is. "Richard, the cute guy you met at the club when you last visited me! He's single…and he owns the club. You have to show up. He really likes you…and he's _single._"

"Okay." She sighed.

Unbeknownst to them, Randy was listening to their conversation standing round the bend in the hallway. He wasn't planning to listen, but when Arianne told Cat to stop talking about married guys—pertaining to him, it made him stop and listen.

He was bemused that she actually showed concern about his feelings, when she hasn't shown any for a while. And then he heard them talking about a certain Richard and he can't help but feel a little _jealous_, maybe _possessive_of her.

Did she just agree being set up on a date with that guy? He thought. _A f**king club owner?  
><em>  
>He could feel his temper flare thinking about it, and he couldn't stand it. He knew he just had to do something about it.<p>

* * *

><p>.<p>

**Later that night…**

**.**

Ari was already at the club before the guys, and she was surprised when they arrived with Randy. The bouncer let him in even though his name wasn't in the guest list.

Cat had left her in the **VIP**area that she reserved, and they joined her there. Randy sat next to her without a word or a glance. She tried to play it cool though, as much as she could.

"So, Ari, where's your friend?" Cody asked, "Isn't she joining us?"

"She'll be here…probably just busy." She said.

"Busy _pimping_you out to her boss." Randy said.

He didn't say it loud enough for everyone to hear, except for Arianne and he looked at her to deliver the point. She didn't know if that was meant to be a rib, but she found it offensive. But she wasn't going to show him it affected her.

"Yeah, well, Richard likes me a lot, so it shouldn't take her long." She said, "Maybe I'll stay the rest of the week here until the pay per view in Jersey, if he asks. After all, he's _single_."

Randy was going to retort, but fortunately, Cat came with Richard then.

"Here she is! Oh, hey guys! So glad you could make it…" She said when she saw Ted and Cody, "Oh, you bought company." She remarked when she saw Randy. "Anyway, this is my boss, Richard Hammond, he owns the club."

"Hi, nice to meet you guys…I was a huge wrestling fan when I was a kid." He offered a handshake to Ted first, then Cody, then Randy who didn't shake his hand.

"What not anymore?" Randy said, "Why, because it's _not real_? I guess you think our injuries are fake too, huh?"

"No, no! Of course not…" Richard said, "I know you guys get hurt…and its difficult being on the road as much as you guys…"

He looked at Arianne. "I know all the hard work that goes in to producing a wrestling show."

"I told him all about what you do." Cat said to Ari, "He's watched Raw the last two weeks, and he's very impressed."

"What, are you his spokesperson or something?" Randy asked Cat.

"**Randy!**" Arianne shot him a look, and he just deflected her.

The tension between them was so thick, you could cut it with a knife, and everyone felt it. Arianne shook her head in annoyance, and tried to focus on Richard instead.

"Did you really watch?" She asked, "I hope you continue to."

"I will…_for you_." Richard said.

"Psshh." Randy said, under his breath. "F**king lame."

"Say guys, why don't we go to the bar, see what they got there?" Ted said, hoping to ease the tension. "Randy, Cody?"

"Okay, let's go…" Cody said, "I just saw a pretty blonde over there."

"I'm not in the mood." Randy said.

"I wonder what he's doing here, then." Cat said.

Arianne sighed, feeling the situation starting to go out of hand.

"Okay, then…come on Cody." Ted said, "We'll be back."

It was a very uncomfortable situation, especially when Cat left to attend to something. Richard was supposed to go, but she insisted she'd handle it. Randy was reacting to everything Richard says to Arianne.

He couldn't help it. He just doesn't like the guy. He hates everything about him. From his floppy hair to the designer shoes he was wearing.

_"Douche bag"_ He thought, gritting his teeth. _"This guy's supposed to be better than me? Are you kidding me?"_

He was seething, feeling like there was literally a fire under his seat, especially when he touches her. What's worse is Arianne wasn't doing anything about it. And then it happened.

"You know what, why don't we just go to my office, so you and I could talk one on one, and get to know each other better? It's a lot quieter there." She told Richard and Arianne. "Just leave Mr. Orton here with his friends. My staff will take care of him."

It caught Arianne by surprise, and maybe by pure instinct she glanced at Randy, and he had this shocked look on his face like he just got slapped. But then, she remembered it was over between them, and she probably shouldn't worry about what he thinks.

"Yeah..." She said, "I-I think that's…a good idea."

It was like it was the hardest thing she had to do. Every word she said contradicting what her heart was screaming out. She tried to be firm about it, but it felt like something's chipping at her chest.

Richard smiled and stood up. "Let's go?" He said, offering his hand.

Arianne paused for a second. Her head was telling her she should go with Richard, but her heart was saying no. She didn't think it was going to be that hard, but she had to try and be rational. Reluctantly, slowly she reached for his hand. Then Randy grabbed her by the forearm.

"_You're not going_." He said firmly.

She looked at him, and he had the most intense look in his eyes. She looked at Richard and it was his turn to be surprised at what was happening in front of him.

"Richard…" Arianne said, "I'm sorry…"

The two men thought she had made her decision for a split second, and that it was in Randy's favor. But then, she continued to say something else.

"I'll follow you." She said. "Just give me a minute."

Richard sighed in relief, while Randy couldn't believe what she just said and couldn't speak for a moment until Richard walked away. He was still holding her forearm then but she took his hand off her slowly.

"Let go of me." She said in a low voice, as she did.

"You're not going to follow him to his office." Randy said.

"You can't tell me what to do." She said, "Have you forgotten? You've given up that right when you left me in that hotel room." Suddenly her tears fell, but she wiped them off immediately. "Just leave me alone, Randy. It's for the better."

"For the better?" He said, "What? You think that guys better than me? He's a f**king club owner, for Pete's sake! How is he better?"

"He's better because he's not married!" She said. "With him, I have a chance at a future…something you and I can never have…something you can't give me…something I was willing to give up for you…for just three words." She took a deep breath. "I'm over that now. I've moved on. You should too."

He knew she was right. It's been a month since they've broken up and it was hard seeing her moving on. It was a lot harder seeing her with someone new, especially when even though he didn't want to admit it, she could be better off with than him.

He tried to convince himself to be logical, but his heart wouldn't have.

She stood up and took her purse. But again, he grabbed her by the arm.

"You can't go!" He said. "Don't go."

He looked at her. His eyes didn't have intensity in them anymore. He almost looked like he was pleading, and she couldn't bear to look at him like that. But she had to be firm.

"Why not?" She asked. She challenged him, convinced he still wasn't going to say what she wanted to hear from him. In her head she figured he may want her, but he doesn't love her. "Give me one good reason to stay."

And she was right. He couldn't say it. He couldn't say it to her to save his life. Unfortunately, it just ended up hurting her more.

"That's right." She said, taking his hand off him, easier this time. "You can't give me one."

She took a deep breath and walked off, not turning around once to look at him. He watched her disappear in the crowd.

"Don't go…" He said. "I…I love you."

But it was too late...

or is it?


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_"Here you are again, sitting alone in your car in the dark, staring at nothing, hearing nothing but your heart shattering and the voices in your head."_Randy thought,_"Why the fuck do you always choke? Why the hell couldn't you just tell her what she wants to hear? You love her! You know it's true, you stupid idiot!"__  
><em>  
>He was sitting in his rental car, seething in anger, not on anyone else, but on himself. He held the steering wheel so tightly; if he gripped it tighter he might just break it. He tried to calm himself down, but it's just not working. Not when he was too pissed to listen to himself.<p>

_"Let it go, buddy. You lost."_

Shut up!

_"She's found your replacement!"_

I said shut up!

_"You'll never get her back now and it's all your fault…choke artist!"_

**"Shut the fuck up!"** He said out loud. **"Just shut the fuck up!"**

He pushed the backrest of the seat down and put his hands over his face in frustration. He's been playing a guy who hears voices in his head on TV for a while, maybe it's starting to become him for real, he thought.

He told himself repeatedly to try and relax or else he was going to really lose it. Gradually, slowly, he started to simmer down.  
>But as he let go of his anger, something else took its place.<p>

Something heavier, something he couldn't control as it all rush in. Maybe that was the reason he kept the tough demeanor on and acted out like he's always angry. Because he knew that once he let go of that emotion, then he'd let the sadness in.

He laid there on the seat of his car, with his eyes closed. He felt like a boulder was crushing his chest and it was hard to breathe, and it's getting heavier by the second until he couldn't bear it any longer.

He put his hands on his head, and took a deep breath. As he released the air in his lungs, he let the tears flow from his eyes as well. He let all his frustrations and cooped up emotions out with the warm tears streaming uncontrollably, gushing out, from the corner of his eyes even though they were shut tight.

He allowed himself to feel all the pain he had been hiding inside his heart. He had to clutch at his chest, thinking maybe it will ease the pain that was just too unbearable right at that moment.

He sat there in the darkness, crying his eyes out silently.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**_Meanwhile, back at the club…_**

.

.

"…I guess I was trying to size up the competition." Richard said, "Touch Nightclub's one of the most popular clubs here."

He'd been telling Arianne the whole story about his club from its inception to its fruition. It was a very interesting story, and he was definitely a hard working and determined young man with an inspiring story—if only Arianne was really listening. Her mind was just not there, and quite possibly, neither was her heart.

"It must've been serendipity that I met you there…" Richard's voice trailed when he looked at her and noticed finally that she wasn't really there. He sighed. "So…do you want a drink?" Richard asked. "Arianne?"

"Huh?" She snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh, I'm…I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Richard said. He took two glasses behind him, placed some ice in it and poured some whisky. "I know I'm not a good story teller. I make it sound boring."

Arianne gave him a constrained smile, and he thought she just needed to loosen up a bit, and relax around him. He went around his table and sat at the chair opposite her, and handed her the glass of whiskey.

"Here…" He said, "It's_ Glen Garioch_…very expensive."

She took it and took a sip, and let the liquid flow into her mouth. It burned because it was very strong, but what burns more was the memory that suddenly crept in her psyche.

She remembered that night when she shared a glass of whisky with Randy. She remembered him holding her close as they danced, listening to the music in her I-pod. She remembered it was the first time he'd kissed her—and she kissed him back.

She felt her eyes get warm with the tears bidding to form. She put the glass down slowly on the table, and contritely bowed her head.

"I'm sorry, Richard…" She uttered, "I can't do this."

"Oh, the whisky's too strong?" Richard asked, "I got brandy here instead…if you want."

He was about to stand up but Arianne stopped him. "That's…not what I mean." She said, "I mean this…what I'm doing here. I can't do this anymore…I can't lie to myself and pretend that I want to be here when I know in my heart…where I'd rather be…and who I'd rather be with."

Richard just sat there, looking at his glass. She thought she might've hurt him with what she said, especially since he had been so adamant in getting with her that he even got Cat to help him.

There was a few moment of awkward silence and she though she should just leave, and she was about to until he spoke.

"So you're rejecting me?" He asked.

"I'm really sorry." She said, "I really wanted to try…I wanted to give you a shot…I wanted to give myself a real chance at happiness because I thought it could lie with someone else, but now I realize it doesn't, because my heart just isn't here."

"You think I'll just let you go with a sorry?" Richard said, much to Arianne's surprise. "You don't know me at all, Arianne."

He suddenly grabbed her wrist. "You should've been listening to my story then you'd know that I'm the kind of guy who's used to getting what I want."

"Richard, let go of me!" She said, "I'm warning you."

"What're you gonna do? You're going to scream?" He said, "Nobody can hear you in here Arianne. The music outside's too loud and this room is sound proof!"

She suddenly felt nervous and scared when he said that. What was he gonna do? Had he just tricked her into coming into his office because he was planning to do something to her if she didn't agree to what he wants?

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

**_Back in the car…_**

**_._**

Randy finally got himself to calm down after a while. He thought about going and leaving Ted and Cody behind. He didn't want them to see him the way he looks right then, puffy eyes and all, nor does he want to have to explain anything to them about why he suddenly decided to go out of the club and stay there in their car.

He decided to call them to tell them he was leaving and they could just take a cab. He took his phone out of his pocket but before he could find Ted's number, it rang. It was Cody.

"Yeah?"

"Randy, where are you?" Cody asked, tensed.

"Just outside, in the car." He said, "Why?"

"It's Arianne…"

He didn't hear everything Cody had to say because he suddenly he saw Arianne running across the street and she almost got hit by an oncoming car.

Luckily the car stopped just in time, but she ran ahead already before he could react. When he got out of their car she has already disappeared. Cody, Ted and Cat approached then came out.

"Did you see her?" Cat asked him.

"Yeah, one second she was crossing the street the next she's disappeared." He said.

Then he saw Cat had Ari's purse and that got him alarmed.

"What happened?" He asked anxiously.

"It's Richard…he tried to take advantage of her…" Cat could barely explain because she felt guilty.

"What the fuck?" Randy said. "That bastard! I'm gonna kill him!"

He almost zoomed out of there back to the club, wanting to confront Richard but Ted and Cody held him off.

"Take it easy, we've taken care of it." Ted said, "Calm down, man."

"I'm sorry! I didn't know he was gonna do that to Ari!" Cat said, "He was so nice, I had no idea he's…"

"He's a motherfucking douche bag is what he is!" Randy said, as he kicked the tire of the car. "I knew he was up to no good! Fuck!"

"Listen, man…like Ted said, we've taken care of that asshole." Cody said, "We should look for Ari…she looked really distressed."

Like a light switch his anger turned to worry. "You're right…we got to find her." He said, "I need to find her."

Without another word he hopped back in the car. "It's better if we split. You guys take her car."

And with that he gunned the engine and drove off. The others were left there standing for a few seconds, before anyone could react because it all seemed to happen so fast.

"Well…" Ted said, "Let's go."

As the three were driving around, with Cat sitting in the backseat, she realized then how Randy really does care about her friend Ari. She couldn't deny it, it was very evident. He loves her. She felt guilty and regretted ever setting Ari up with Richard, who turned out to be a douche bag.

It was fortunate that she came looking for Arianne when she did, or Richard would've succeeded in taking advantage of her. It was also good that Ted and Cody were close by and immediately got to them, so Richard couldn't go after Arianne.

At least I got to slap the bastard. She thought. At that point she doesn't care if she gets fired. She won't come back to work either way.

The three of them drove around at least a two mile radius, but they didn't see even Arianne's shadow. It was beginning to rain too which made their chances worse because she'd definitely find some place to take cover in. If she had only taken her purse, Cat wouldn't have been so worried. But she left her purse with her cards, money and phone.

Eventually Ted and Cody dropped her off at her place. It was very late and the rain had come down heavy. They figured Arianne would probably take a cab and go to her place and it would be better if she was there.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

"_A thousand times I've seen you standing__  
><em>_Gravity like lunar landing__  
><em>_You make me want to run till' I find you__  
><em>_I shut the world away from here__  
><em>_I drift to you, you're all I hear__  
><em>_As everything we know fades to black_"

Randy hadn't stopped driving around since he left the club. It has been over an hour, but he just didn't want to give up. The rain started to come down like the whole Atlantic Ocean was being poured over Manhattan when Ted called and told him they were going to stop. He couldn't order them to continue because it made sense, but he just had to do it his way.

He'd driven through main streets and back alleys and still no sign of Arianne. The streets were almost empty then too, since it was raining and it was almost three in the morning. He was about to give up then, as he slowed down for the stop light when he happened to glance at the waiting shed across the street and saw her.

It had just stopped raining then, but the light couldn't change fast enough, so he decided to get out of the car and cross the street. As he came closer and saw her better, his heart just started to beat faster but at the same time gripped with the condition she was in.

She was sitting there all drenched and wet from the rain, staring blankly at the pavement. It's like her color all ran out and she was so pale and cold to look at, clutching at herself to keep warm.

He wanted to run to her and hold her but he didn't know if she'd even let him touch her. So he approached slowly instead.

"Arianne…"

She looked up, with the bewildered look in her eyes and didn't move for another second.

"It's me…" He said.

"Randy…" She stood up and jumped into his arms, crying.

He held her back, tightly as he could, and realized how much he's missed holding her in his arms. He would've felt extremely happy had it been another circumstance, but he was far more concerned at what happened to her to solicit her actions.

"Hey…" He tipped her face up to look at her, "Tell me what happened. What did he do to you?"

She shook her head, "I couldn't…I tried…I couldn't…I'm sorry." She said, shaking her head. "I tried to open up, I tried to move past you, I tried to give myself a chance…I couldn't." She looked at him in the eyes, "I love you…"

What she said didn't make sense to him about what happened, but she was crying too much and he felt guilty nonetheless. If he hadn't let her go, if he hadn't left her, he knew this wouldn't have happened.

"I'm sorry…" He said.

"I don't care." She said, still crying. "I don't care if you don't love me. I don't care anymore. I just wanna be with you."

"Ari, I…"

She kissed him then, before he could say what he was going to. And he kissed her back, with all the pent up emotions he's held inside of him.

Suddenly the unbearable pain he felt earlier was replaced by unbelievable joy.

So unbelievable in fact that he couldn't stop himself from tearing up as well. He stopped kissing her and held her in his arms, as he didn't want her to see him wipe his eyes.

"Let's get you out of here, okay?" He said.

She didn't say another word, and just nodded in agreement as she wrapped her arms around him. He walked her to the car, and let her in the passenger side before going around to the driver's side, and then they left.

He noticed she was shaking so he turned the air conditioning off and put his arms around her, holding her close to him as he drove.

"Randy?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't want to go back to the hotel yet."

"Want me to take you to your friend's apartment?"

"No." She said, "I just want to be alone with you for a while."

"_Half the time the world is ending__  
><em>_Truth is I am done pretending__  
><em>_Too much time too long defending__  
><em>_You and I are done pretending__"__  
><em>-

* * *

><p><em>That morning at the hotel…<em>

"Cody, would you stop pacing!" Ted said.

He was lying on his stomach on his bed while Cody paced back and forth inside the room. He still had his eyes closed and wasn't planning to get up yet but Cody's footsteps were disturbing him.

"What? I'm worried." Cody said, "Aren't you?"

"Of course I am. I just choose not to panic." He said, "She's an adult, I'm sure she can handle herself."

"Yes, but you saw how she was when she ran out. She looked disoriented." Cody said, sitting on the other bed. "Cat said she hasn't shown up at her apartment and Randy's not even back yet."

"Maybe he found her already." Ted said, without really thinking about what he was saying.

"Then where are they?" Cody asked.

"I don't know." Ted said, "But if anyone can find her, it's him. You saw him last night as well; he's not gonna stop until he does."

* * *

><p><em>Wake up! Wake up, Ari!<em>

She woke up with a gasp, a little dazed. She'd have sat up abruptly if it weren't for the heavy arm on top of her chest. Still unsure, she closed her eyes only to open them again and find him there still, lying beside her, on top of her.

She could feel him—all of him, his warmth, his heart beating next to hers, his breath on her neck. That's when she realized it was not a dream. It was all real. The night was real. She felt overwhelming happiness knowing that.

She's missed him so badly, even though they see each other often. She's missed him that way—being that close to him. She missed his arms wrapped around her, his kisses on her lips, his everything. She never knew how much until then.

She touched his face gently, not wanting to wake him up, but he suddenly moved and turned over to the other side, with his back towards her. She let him settle on his new position before she moved. She pulled the cover over him, caringly.

She watched him as he slept there, his shoulders moving as he breathed.

"I love you." She sighed. "I love you so much."

She lay back down on the bed, turning to the other side and closed her eyes, still feeling exhausted from all the events and emotional trauma from the night before.

Somehow she still feels like everything's going to disappear when she opens her eyes again. She feels it's all going to end once they go back outside, to their real lives.

_"I love you too." _He whispered in her ear.

It made her heart skip in surprise. She opened her eyes and saw him peering over her, with a solemn look on his eyes. She didn't—couldn't believe what she heard.

"W-What did you say?" She asked.

"I said…I love you too." Randy repeated. "I love you, Ari. I love you."

She couldn't react. She put a hand over her mouth by instinct and that was that. He looked at her with a gentle smile, and took her hand off her face.

"I always have, Ari." He said, "I guess I just couldn't say it because I was afraid that if I say it out loud it's going to be so strong and it'll drown me. But I'd rather drown than lose you again, forever. I don't know if I'm making sense but…"

What he said just overwhelmed her with joy and just had to kiss him. He responded to her and kissed her fiercely. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her over on top of him…and they were one again.

"_I never thought that I__  
><em>_Had anymore to give__  
><em>_You're pushing me so far__  
><em>_Here I am without you__  
><em>_Drink to all that we have lost__  
><em>_Mistakes we have made__  
><em>_Everything will change__  
><em>_But love remains the same__"_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks a lot for reading. The lyrics are from Gavin Rossdale's "Love Remains the Same". I listened to it while writing the chapter on loop, so you can say it inspired me. Hope you all liked the chapter. Feedbacks/Reviews/Comments are of course very much appreciated. And thanks to all the new subscribers. **


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: My sincerest apologies for taking so long to put this chapter up. I was on a 'sabbatical'. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Thanks for reading! As always, feedbacks, comments, reviews are most welcome! Thank you._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

_._

_Two months after…_

Randy and Arianne's relationship got more intense and serious as the months passed, at least when it's just the two of them. They try really hard to limit their displays of affection to each other in public so as not to raise more suspicions than they already are generating in their circle.

But sometimes, it just gets really hard to control themselves.

.

_December 7, 2009 Dallas TX – Monday Night Raw_

"Where's Randy?" Ted asked, "We're supposed to open the show."

"He's probably taking a nap in the TV room. Did you check?" Cody offered.

"Yeah, he's not there." Ted said, "Call him. We got ten minutes."

.

_In the parking area…_

_._

Randy and Arianne were making out in the backseat of his rental car. He was on top of her, with one hand running up and down her thighs, under her hike up skirt, and the other inside her unbuttoned blouse.

She was leaning on the door, with her legs wrapped around his hips, one hand on the back of his head and the other, gripping at the handle above the window.

They were so into it, especially Randy that he wouldn't have picked up his phone if Arianne hadn't told him to.

"Uhh…Randy…your phone…" She said, breathlessly in between kisses. "It's vibrating."

His phone was inside the back pocket of his lounge pants, and she felt it vibrate under her calf.

"What?" He asked.

He heard her, but he didn't understand what she said. He moved his mouth to her neck nibbling at her skin, growling, rumbling a little which made her gasp and made her forget.

But then it vibrated again, and she had to come back to earth.

"Randy, stop!" She said, pushing him back a little, putting her legs down on the seat, releasing him. "You're phone's vibrating…they must be looking for you. You're supposed to open the show."

He grumbled a little, but still got off her. "You're right." He said, taking a deep breath. "I should go…"

He looked at her as she was buttoning her shirt. "Damn it…" He smirked in a mix of amusement and a bit of frustration.

He was amused at himself for getting so caught up so fast, and frustrated for having to let go as quick.

"Go!" She said, reading what's on his mind. "You can have me later."

He reached for a kiss again, softly on the lips. "I'm going, I'm going!" He said, "I'll see you later." Then he slipped out.

"Later, Viper." She giggled, as she playfully kicked his butt out of the car.

He turned and looked at her, squinting evilly. "You're gonna pay for that." He told her.

"Oh, yeah?" She said, "How're you gonna make me?"

"You'll see later." He said, licking his lips before he got out and closed the car door behind him.

"Hot damn! That was hot." Arianne said under her breath, giggling a little.

.

* * *

><p><em><span>.<span>_

_At a nursing home for disabled people somewhere…_

.

"What's in it for me?" Joseph asked.

"You get your revenge, and get paid at the same time." The man said.

The man had contacted him via phone a few days ago, confirming if he was indeed Arianne's brother, and then asked to meet him.

He didn't even know how this man found him, since he had no other contacts since Arianne abandoned him. His neighbors took him to that place because no one was going to take care of him, and he can't survive on his own.

He thought Arianne might have changed her mind and had someone to look for him, but when he asked the man what it was all about, he was more interested by the offer he got.

The man said he was going to help him, with the help of a financier who was behind all of it.

"What's his beef with my sister anyway?" He asked. "And while you're at it, what's yours?"

He almost laughed at the irony of calling Arianne his sister, while plotting her and Randy's demise.

The man laughed, "Let's just say your sister has the ability to bring the worst out in people."

"Especially those who are already evil to begin with." Joseph added.

The man looked at him dead in the eye, but he did not bat. He thought he might have offended him, but then the man gave a little laugh.

"You're right." The man said. "So, are you in or out?"

He thought about for a minute. He had been aching to get back at Arianne and Randy for all that's happened to him, including being stuck in that hell hole of a nursing home.

He'd been plotting ways to exact his revenge the worst possible way, but then he lacked the resources and the manpower. Hell he can't even get off his wheelchair by himself.

"I'm in." He said. "And I know exactly…what to do."

.

* * *

><p><em><span>.<span>_

_Dec. 16, 2009 – Stamford, CT. Arianne's apartment._

.

Arianne was cleaning her apartment that morning, putting up decorations for Christmas. She didn't exactly plan on celebrating it, knowing she'd spend it alone since Randy would be home with his family.

She's accepted that, and she did tell him she'd be content with whatever he could give her. She knows and firmly believes he loves her, and that's all she could really ask for.

Still she didn't want to be all depressed, so she thought she'd at least make her surrounding as festive as she can. She remembered when she was a kid she used to help her mom decorate their home.

They use to string popcorn together to make fake snow to put on the Christmas tree, and her dad would lift her up to put the star on top of it.

Those were the good days, back when she and Joseph were still close. Before cracks in their relationship as siblings started to form.

He wasn't always like the way he turned out. He used to be nice and he loved her. She loved him too, and sometimes she does think about and miss him, like now.

Suddenly her phone rang. She'd hoped it was Randy but she was surprised when she recognized who it was.

"Joseph?"

"Ari…" He said. "How have you been?"

She couldn't talk in shock and confusion. Why is he calling her, and how did he even know her number? What could he possibly want now?

"Listen, Arianne…I know we've had a lot of misunderstandings in the past." Joseph said, "Well, misunderstanding is an understatement, but I just…I just want to apologize…for everything I've done to you."

She still didn't speak. She just doesn't know what to do or say to him. She's also trying to read through what he was saying, if he was being sincere or not.

She had grown wary of him and what he's capable of even in his situation.

"I know you may not believe me." Joseph continued, as if knowing what's in her mind. "But, Ari, please believe me. I really am sorry. Being alone…I've had the time to realize how bad I've been as a brother to you. You are my only family now, after mom and dad's deaths, and I shouldn't have done what I did. I realize that now, and I'm really, really sorry." He said.

"Arianne, that's all I'm asking for this Christmas—that you forgive me. I beg you…won't you please forgive me? It's never too late to ask for forgiveness right?"

"I…I guess…" She said, softly. "W-where are you? How did you know my number?"

"It's not important…just know that I've made the effort to find you, because I really want to make amends for what I've done to you."

In her mind there was still doubt, and she was reluctant to believe him. But her heart was saying otherwise. Maybe he is being sincere. Maybe he really has changed, and realized how terrible he was as a brother, maybe he just really wants to fix things.

"You're right…I'm glad you called." She said, "So, how have you been? Where are you staying?"

"Will you come visit me?" He asked, hopeful.

"Um…I'll…I'll think about it." She said.

"That's good enough." Joseph said.

.

* * *

><p><em><span>.<span>_

_December 21, 2009_

.

Arianne asked for a week long leave and didn't come to Tampa with the rest of the Raw crew. She went to visit her brother Joseph at the nursing home, but she didn't tell anyone that was where she was going.

She didn't tell Randy either, because she thought she was going to have to explain a lot of things to him. He didn't even know she had a brother.

It was the last show before Christmas and Randy thought she'd be there so they could spend some time together. He was a bit disappointed to know she wasn't coming.

He decided to call her then, but he couldn't reach her phone. It could've been turned off because he keeps getting her voice mail box.  
>Her visit went well though, and Joseph really seemed to have changed in the way he treated her, although she couldn't help but feel a bit wary still.<p>

It's going to take a lot of convincing because she just knows him all too well. Nonetheless, he was trying his best.

She was there for three days, staying in a motel near the nursing home. She also visited her parents' grave. She would've stayed until after Christmas but didn't really feel like spending it with Joseph. She'd felt like she'd be lying to herself and it all would seem fake.

But then when she got home to her apartment in Stamford, loneliness hit right back, especially when she listened to all of Randy's messages on her phone the past two days.

She figured he's be with his family by then, while here she is celebrating—no, going through Christmas eve all by herself. She decided to just sleep through it.

She doesn't have any gift to open by midnight, because she knew she couldn't have the only thing she'd have wished for.

.

* * *

><p><em><span>.<span>_

_December 25, 2009 1:15AM Stamford, CT_

.

Arianne woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. She searched for it blindly under her pillow, and then peered at the screen to see who it was. It was Randy.

"Randy!" She said, sitting up quickly on her bed, suddenly energized. "Hi."

"Finally!" Randy said, whispering. "Where were you? You had me worried."

"I'm sorry…I…ah…I went to visit my parent's grave." She said. "I should've told you…"

"Oh…well, where are you now? Are you with your friends?"

"No." She said, "I'm in my apartment, actually. I was already sleeping."

Randy felt sorry for her then. He knew she didn't have any one to call family anymore, but he didn't think she'd be spending Christmas alone.

He thought she'd at least be with her friends. He was silent for a while, but she felt what he must be feeling.

"Hey, it's okay." She said, "I chose this…it's not your fault."

He sat down on a couch in his den, "Are you…gonna come to New York for Raw?" He wanted to tell her that he wanted to see her, but he didn't want to be obliging her.

"I'm kind of still on leave…but I could come if you want." She said. She kind of hoped he'd tell her to come because she didn't want to sound desperate.

"No, it's okay." He said instead. "That would defeat the purpose of your leave."

"Right…" She said softly. She was disappointed, but tried not to feel bad about it and be emotional. Either way, he still sensed it.

"I miss…"

But before he could finish what he was going to say, Sam came in the den looking for him and saw him talking on his phone. Arianne heard her in the background.

"Randy? What are you doing here?" Sam asked, "Everyone's looking for you…Who are you talking to on your phone?"

"Umm…it's just Cody, hon. I'll be right out." He said, "I got to go, man. I'll see you."

Then the line went dead, but she had the phone over her ear for a bit longer. She had so much she wanted to tell him, she wanted to talk to him longer—she just wanted to hear his voice, really.

She sighed, "I miss you." She whispered before she turned her phone off.

.

* * *

><p><em><span>.<span>_

_St. Louis, MO 2:35AM_

.

Randy was already in the bedroom, getting ready to go to sleep. He was brushing his teeth, staring at himself in the mirror, recalling his conversation with Arianne on the phone.

He hated that he had to end the call the way he did, especially when she sounded so disconsolate.

If he was there with her, he'd have held her in his arms until she felt better. But he was miles away, and there was nothing he could do from where he is. He probably shouldn't even call her again until after he flies to New York for Raw.

Fact is he's just really been missing her. It's funny how in the past days that he hasn't seen her, he keeps remembering the little things she does, her mannerisms, gestures and nervous ticks.

But most especially the way she would always look at him across a room full of people that makes him feel a certain way, like there was no one else in her world.

He'd been standing in front of the sink, staring at himself for quite a bit absentmindedly when Sam came in, and that's really when he snapped out of his day dream.

"Hon, are you done yet?" Sam asked.

"Huh?" He saw himself in the mirror and he still had toothpaste on his mouth. "Yeah, almost done." He said, before he gargled.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

Outside Arianne's apartment, there was a tinted car parked across the street. It was a rental car and the man sitting inside it had been following her since she left the nursing home from her last visit to Joseph.

It was the same man Joseph had been in contact with.

The man took his phone in the car compartment and made a call to a secured number.

"I've located her apartment, sir." He said.

.

* * *

><p><em><span>.<span>_

_December 27, 2009 3:15 AM_

.

It was a very cold morning and Arianne decided to just sleep in instead of getting up and going for a jog as per her usual routine.

Most of her neighbors hasn't returned from their holiday vacation yet and the street was practically empty, so there no one to jog with either.

Other than that, she's just doesn't have the energy. Being away and not seeing Randy had kind of made her lethargic.

Suddenly, her door bell rang. She didn't get up immediately and it took a while before it rang again, so that's only when she got up to get the door.

She was so surprised at who she saw standing in front of her door step that she couldn't speak at first, thinking she might be just dreaming.

"Randy…?" She said, stunned.

He looked up with a smile, hugging himself because it was very cold outside. "Hey, stranger!" He said, smiling as he saw her. "Mind if I come in? It's cold out here."

"Come in, come in…" She said, stepping out of the way. "W-what are you doing here?"

He walked in pulling his luggage, "Well…I had a choice to stay until this afternoon in Albany or drive all night to get here. It's three hours away, I decided to leave."

He closed the door behind him and looked at her. "Besides, there's a company Christmas party tonight and show in Hartford tomorrow so I thought I'd come in earlier, get rested."

She just smiled coyly, but her eyes spoke volumes and he immediately read through it. "Let me help you with those…" She said.

But as she reached for his bag, he caught her hand. "And also…I wanted to spend more time with you." He said. "I missed you."

She just hugged him then and buried her face on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her too and held her close. They just stood there like that for a couple of minutes, just holding each other.

"You know your way around me, don't you?" She asked, her voice muffled as she spoke through his chest.

"Not as much as you know yours around me." He said.

"Are you hungry? Do you want me to make you something?" She asked, letting go of him momentarily.

"Nah…maybe later." He said, "I'm more tired and sleepy than hungry…I was anxious to get here."

She laughed a little, "Well, I was already in bed when you rang the bell." She pulled at his arm, "Come on, bed's still pretty warm."

"What about my stuff?" He said, acting reluctant.

"Leave it there, it's not going anywhere." She said. "We'll take care of it later."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

.

_10:45AM Arianne's apartment._

.

Randy woke up and Arianne wasn't beside him. The sun was already high and was seeping freely into the room from the window. He sat up on the bed and looked around the room.

He saw his luggage already at the foot of the bed, a shirt and a pair of pants hanging by the door of the closet and his shoes and pair of socks on top of the chair next to the table. The clothes he was wearing except for his coat were gone too.

The room wasn't big, but it was neat and comfortable, as was the whole apartment. The bed was sturdy and just big enough to hold the two of them snugly.

He put his feet down from the bed and found his flip-flops on the floor, which made him smile a little in amusement. He got up and went out of the room.

"Ari?" He called. "Where are you?"

"I'm in the kitchen."

He followed where her voice came from and saw her cooking. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as he planted a kiss behind her ear.

"What are you making?" He asked, talking against her skin.

"Mmm…French toast with berries." She said, "What else do you want to eat?"

"_You._" He said, slipping a hand inside her robe and nibbled at the curve of her neck.

"Randy, stop that." She said, giggling. He was tickling her. "I was talking about _real food_."

He relented then and took a seat and poured coffee on a mug. "So what's on the agenda for the day?"

She put a plate down in front of him to eat, and then sat across him on the small table with her legs crossed under, flipping.

"I'm going to HQ by one. I still have a meeting with Stephanie and the rest of the team." She said, "We can't show up together."

She accidentally hit his foot so she put her leg down. "Oops, sorry."

He squinted at her like she did it on purpose, smiling slyly. "No, we can't. They might think I'm staying here—which I am, but we don't want them to know that."He said.

Then he swiped his foot and hit her shin lightly. "Oh, I'm sorry. _Was that your leg?_" He said, laughing.

"Ah!" She reacted in mock disbelief. "That's not very nice, Mr. Orton." She playfully kicked him on the knee.

"Hey!" He said, "You're fighting me back now?"

"When did I ever not fight back?" She smiled, teasingly.

"Oh, yeah?" He put his feet on either side of her seat, "What you gonna do now?"

"Hmm…this!" She said as she put both her feet up between his thighs, by his crotch.

He laughed, "Not a bad move, you plan on doing anything there?" He asked, mischievously.

But then her mood changed. "No." She put her feet down, and focused on her breakfast—no, brunch. "Finish your food, it's getting cold."

By then, he knew better than to push her when she's having mood swings so he put his feet down too and did what she said.

He doesn't know what triggered her reaction though. She was quiet until they both finished eating, and until she was washing the dishes. He couldn't take the silence anymore so he stood up and tried to cuddle up to her.

"Hey…" He said, as he moved behind her, putting his hands on her hips. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing." She said.

"Come on." He whispered in her ear, pulling her hips towards him, letting her feel him. "I know when something's bothering you. Why don't you tell daddy what it is, so I can make it better."

She finished washing the dishes then and turned around to look at him, but then he started to kiss her neck and she let him do so for a while, but then she pushed him off a bit.

"Stop." She said, "This is the problem, Randy."

She walked away from him and went to the living area and sat on the couch. He followed her, perplexed. He didn't know whether to sit beside her or if she'd even let him sit beside her. So he just stood there.

"I don't understand…what are you trying to say?" He asked, cautiously.

She sighed, "Sit down." She said, tapping the couch.

_At least she let me sit beside her_. Randy thought. _That means she's not mad at me.  
><em>  
>He sat down beside her on the couch. "Tell me what's wrong."<p>

"Randy…it's just…" She took his hand, "It's just that every time we're alone together all we do is make out and have sex…"

"You don't…like the sex?" He asked, taken aback, his ego kind of hurt.

"No! It's not that at all! I-I like it…" She said, "Sex is great, I've no complaints in that area…"

"So what's the problem?" He asked.

"Randy, it's just that I kinda feel like that's what this relationship is about." She said, frustrated. "It's not like it for me, I love you and you know that. But when all we do is flirt, make out and have sex…I just can't help but feel that way." She said.

"When we talk, it starts out serious, but somehow we always end up doing the whole cycle…I want to share more than the bed with you." Arianned said, "I want to tell you all about the things that I find interesting. I want to tell you what's going on with me when we're not together. I want to share ideas, and dreams, and my thoughts with you and I want to know what you think of them. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

He looked at her in the eyes. He could see how serious she is about all of it, and he found it cute and amusing that he couldn't help but smile—which annoyed the hell out of Arianne.

"Don't laugh!" Arianne shoved him. "I'm serious!"

He laughed then, "I know, I know you're serious." He put his arms around her and tried to hold her as she struggled to get loose. "Come on, I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh. You're just so cute when you get serious like that." He said, "I get what you mean, really, I do."

He became serious then, and she stopped struggling when she saw the way he was looking at her so he let her loose.

"You know I love you too, right?" He said, "I wanna know everything about you. What you feel, what you think, everything. You believe me, don't you?"

"You mean it?" She asked. Although in her mind, she already does believe what he's telling her. How could she not?

"Of course, I do." He said. "I completely feel the same way you do…I mean, don't get me wrong…I love your sex too, you...you're awesome." He joked.

"Randy!"

"No, ok, seriously now…" He held her again, but this time she didn't struggle to get free and just let him take her into his arms. "So…tell me what you want to talk about."

"Well…we have this meeting later, and we're going to pitch ideas about the directions we're going to go." She said, "You know how I've been asking you to consider being a face…"

"Ari…I told you…everything about me is a heel…" Randy said.

"No, no, wait…" She said, she sat up straight and looked at him. "Just hear me out…you don't gotta change anything much at all…I want to show everyone how amazing you can be."

"I just don't see how it's gonna work."

"It will work. I believe in you and in your abilities…you can make it work." She said, "You trust me right?"

"Yeah." He smiled. He pulled her towards him and cuddled her. "I trust you. I guess it won't hurt to try."

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

_That evening at the WWE Head Quarters…_

.

They were having their annual company Christmas Party that evening and every one of the Divas and Superstars were there along with the other employees. Of course, when surrounded by a lot of people, Arianne and Randy try to keep away from each other as much as possible.

For a while, they were content with stolen glances and smiles at each other from across the room, trying to be inconspicuous. But as the night progressed, they had to find other ways to communicate to each other, and the easiest was through text messages.

But then their exchanges got too frequent, and their reactions obvious that the people that were around them noticed.

_[Wut r u laughing abt. over there? – Randy]_

_[Beth's telling me abt. wut u did 2 Cody at the tanning salon. Ur so mean! – Ari]_

_[Oh ya, that was funny. Codeman was 'standing at attention'. He must've been imagining sumthing. lol – Randy]_

_[Don't tell me its never happened 2 u b4. I bet ur imagination does worse things. – Ari]_

_[Only if I'm imagining u. lol – Randy]_

Reading that she couldn't help but look at him and shake her head. He was looking at her too, and gave her a wicked little smile and a wink, which made her smile too. She had to bite her lips to repress herself from giggling.

"Ari!"

"Huh? What?" She said, distracted. "I'm sorry, you were saying something?"

"What were you looking at?" Beth asked.

She looked at the direction Arianne was looking at before and caught Randy before he looked away. But she didn't think anything of it. She knew Ari and Randy were friends, and didn't want to be jumping to conclusions.

But she's also a woman, and her instincts were telling her something else.

"If you want to join them, feel free to." Beth said.

"No, it's okay." Arianne said, "They're probably talking about guy stuff."

"Okay, suit yourself."

.

But Beth really wasn't the only one who'd noticed. Cody, who was with Randy, noticed it too. But Randy realized that so he tried to divert his attention away from Arianne for as long as he could—all ten minutes of it.

He just couldn't keep his eyes off her especially while he was just sitting there, watching her every move, every little thing she does even when she's across the room from him.

He just wants to drop the act and approach her and kiss her right there, but of course, he can't do that. That would be like taking a mic and telling everyone about them.

In his frustration, he decided to take a walk instead. He went up to the rooftop to be by himself, since he knew nobody was going to be there.

He didn't tell anybody where he was going either. He pulled one of the chairs that were on the tables and sat there, tapping his fingers. It didn't take him long to send Ari a message again.

[I'm at the rooftop. Get here now. – Randy]

.

Arianne was with Stephanie and Vince when she received the message and it made her quite restless. Stephanie was helping her pitch her ideas to Vince then and so she couldn't take the time to text him back.

"Do you really think it's going to work? I mean, he's made to be a heel." Vince said, "Everything about him screams heel."

"The fans are really starting to cheer him, even more than they do John." Stephanie said, "It actually reminds me of what happened to my husband."

"Well, if you put it that way…" Vince said, "My concern is if it will coincide with Randy's gimmick, turning him face."

Arianne's phone vibrated again and she had to check it. It was Randy again, asking her what was keeping her so long and to hurry up because he was getting cold.

"Mr. McMahon, I'm pretty sure he can do it without changing his character much at all." Arianne said, "I have faith in him, and his abilities. He's gonna be amazing. But I think maybe we should talk about this some other time…when he's here, in a more…formal setting. For now, let's enjoy the night."

"That's the best suggestion I've heard all night." Vince said.

Stephanie sighed, "All right, I guess we can do this another time."

"Anytime you want." Arianne said, "I'm always available."

Then they finally left her, but she waited a few seconds before jetting off so it wouldn't be so obvious that she was in a hurry to go somewhere.

Nonetheless, Cody saw her sneak out of the room and was curious as to where she was heading to.

She hurried to the rooftop, but when she busted out of the door, she didn't see him until he spoke. He was standing behind the door.

"Hey." He said, "I'm over here."

She turned around and saw him leaning on the wall behind the door.

"I got your message." She frowned, walking towards him. "I'll have you know I'm not going to be your bootie call."

He stood up straight as she approached, thinking he might have gotten her pissed off.

"Okay." He said, "Sorry, I... "

"Yeah, yeah." She said, "Now shut up and kiss me."

He was shocked that she got her like that, but was more amused. Nonetheless, he did what she told him to.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

It's been about fifteen minutes since Cody saw Arianne sneak out. He'd also noticed Randy wasn't around and he couldn't help but feel a little intrigued.

He'd always kind of felt like the two were too close sometimes, and though it makes him feel a little uncomfortable. He had always tried to move past that because they were both his friends and he didn't want to make assumptions.

But curiosity is getting the best of him this time. So, he went out and looked for Arianne. Somebody told him they saw her go up to the rooftop.

He wondered what she would be doing there, since it would be very cold by then especially because it's winter.

When he got there he saw a guy standing by the door, which was slightly opened. He thought he looked suspicious because he had a camera with him and he seemed to be taking pictures through the small crack.

"Hey, what're you doing there?" He called out.

The man turned around and then suddenly ran away. Cody didn't see the man's face because he had a mask on that covered half his face.

He was going to go after him, but then he heard voices outside, at the rooftop that made him stop. He looked at the direction the guy ran to but he didn't see him anymore.

Cody got more interested in finding out what the guy was taking pictures of and who the voices belonged to, so he opened the door a bit and peeked in.

He saw Arianne sitting on Randy's lap, her head resting on his shoulder with her arms around him. He had his arms around her too, securing her in place, and keeping her warm.

Cody didn't know how to react about what he was seeing and tried to turn around and leave, but then he bumped his elbow on the door, and it opened a bit more.

Randy sensed and heard his movement and reacted quickly. In second, Arianne stood up and he went to the door, and saw Cody inching his way away from there, trying to be inconspicuous, but to no avail.

"Cody!" Randy called him out.

It made him stop on his tracks, and then he turned around slowly to face Randy. Arianne followed Randy and saw Cody too and a look of trepidation crossed her face.

She looked pale, as if the color washed out of her face, especially when Cody gave her a questioning look.

"Cody?" She said, "Randy…?"

Randy looked back at her and reached for her hand, giving it a light squeeze, as if trying to assure her, before looking at Cody again, sternly. If he had any fear about the predicament they were in, he showed no sign of it. And that puzzled Cody a little bit.

"Let's go back outside, shall we?" Randy said.

Randy led the way back outside to the rooftop, still holding Arianne's hand, while Cody followed close behind. She couldn't help but look back at him, just to make sure he was following. She's worried that he Cody might not understand their relationship. And really, who would? It's wrong and she knows it.

When they got outside, Cody became hesitant. He doesn't know what else there was to talk about. He's seen everything there was to see, and it was as clear as day light.

"Randy, I don't think there's much to talk about." He said.

"Sit down, Cody." Randy said.

Arianne put her hand on his arm, "Randy…" She said, trying to keep him calm.

It was cold but she felt colder because of the situation. He realized what she was doing, but also felt her trembling a little and knew she was worried. He took her coat from the chair and placed it on her shoulder before he kissed her forehead.

"Go home. I'll handle this." He said.

She looked at him, like a little child, looking for reassurance. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." He said, touching her face softly. He smiled a little, "Don't lock up."

.

She nodded. It's funny how simple and indirect words from him assure her. She knew he meant to tell her everything was going to be fine and that he was going to follow her home after.

Cody was just standing there, looking at the scene unfolding before his eyes and realizing what the two have between them even before Randy said anything.

Arianne looked at him before she walked away, and her eyes told him everything else.

She needed for him to understand and give her and Randy a chance. And perhaps that opened his mind subconsciously about it.

He didn't even realize that he wasn't questioning it anymore until he sat down and heard what Randy had to say.

They were both silent for a while, just sitting out there in the cold night air, until Randy spoke.

"You're right. There's not much to say." He sighed, "I love her. That's it. That's my whole explanation."

"I know." Cody said. "Listen, I know you're going to ask me not to tell anyone about this…and I'm giving you my word right now that I won't."

Randy looked at him in surprise. He didn't expect Cody to be that way. After all, he's just a kid, what does he know? But Cody saw that too.

"I'm not going to judge you guys given my family history." He said, "The difference is, she works in the same company we are, which makes it difficult…and risky…not just for you, but especially for her."

"We know that…"

"I know." Cody said, "That's why I'm sure you do love each other. That's why I know you love her. Otherwise, it's not worth taking a risk. Arianne's my friend, and I care about her. I don't know what your plans are, and I can't say I'm supporting you guys. But I can assure you, I'm not going to tell anyone about this. I do hope that whatever it leads to, it will be for the best."

Randy didn't say anything. He just sat there and stared at a distance, taking in what Cody was saying.

Cody stood up then, "Well, I guess I'll go back before they start looking for me."

Randy nodded. "Yeah."

Cody started towards the door, but then Randy called him before he opened it.

"Hey, Cody."

He turned around and saw him standing there, with what looks like a look of respect in his eyes, much to his astonishment. As for Randy, he did have a new found respect for the boy he sort of took under his wing. He is now talking to a man, and he deserves it.

"Thanks." He said.

Cody nodded and left.

Randy went back to the party, but only to tell his friends and his boss, Vince, he was leaving. Then he went straight to Arianne's place, where she was waiting for him anxiously. He told her what happened and she was thankful that it went well.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

_In a hotel room somewhere…_

.

The same masked man Cody saw sneaking around the headquarters was uploading the pictures he took of Arianne and Randy to his computer.

He opened his email account and sent them as attachment to two recipients. One of them was Arianne's brother, Joseph. The other recipient was also a familiar name.

Mark Alexander. Randy's former writer.

It was him who got the masked man access to the headquarters, and he was also the same guy who visited Joseph at the nursing home and enticed him to join him in taking down Randy and Arianne.

But that's just two-thirds of them. There's another one who they both answer to, and who was financing their plans.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

.

.

_January 15, 2010_

.

Randy received a phone call from Vince McMahon hours before the house show. It was about an incident that happened, or rather did not happen at a restaurant in Boston a few days ago. He told Vince exactly what happened, and he seemed to believe it. But Vince told him that a complaint was filed already and that set him off.

That was the last thing he needed, something to worry about especially when he knows he didn't do anything wrong. He didn't need the added stress. Vince told him to talk with the Legal Department, but that still didn't make him calm down. And when he's in that mood, nobody dares to come up to him—except Arianne.

.

He was by himself in the TV room when she came in looking for him. He was trying to read a book—trying being the operative word, since nothing he was reading was making sense to him at the moment.

"Randy, are you here?" She asked as she knocked and opened the door askew.

She couldn't see him because the couch was behind the door as it is opened. He wasn't going to speak up because he wanted to be left alone, but he couldn't help himself.

"No, I'm not here." He said, rolling his eyes at himself for not being able to just shut up.

He spoke right before she closed the door thinking he wasn't there, fortunately, so she stopped, stepped inside and locked the door. When he saw her come in with a smile on her face, his temper went down a notch immediately.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I heard the voice of that tall, lanky, good looking wrestler I write for, but apparently, he's not here." She said, "Well, I guess I should go…" She turned around and headed to the door.

"Get back here." He said, pouting, acting un-amused.

"But I have to look for him." She said, "I miss that guy…"

"Now." He said, seriously.

She laughed, "All right, all right." She plopped down on the couch beside him. "Jeez, baby, why so serious?"

He sighed and threw his head back on leaned on the backrest of the couch. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Well, you don't have to." She said, doing as he did. "I heard about it."

"You did? Already?" He looked at her.

"You know how fast word like that gets around here." She touched his face, "It's just so easy for people to make up these stories because you're an easy target…" She said, "I mean with your character and all. You're the arrogant, self absorbed son of a bitch that everyone loves to hate, and it's so easy to buy that story…but I know you didn't do it."

"I didn't." He said, turning away.

"Look at me." She tipped his chin, so he'd look at her. "I know you didn't do it. Santino told me he was there, and nothing like that happened. He said there were cops around who could corroborate his statement. Justin said it's not true either."

She sat up and cupped his face in her hands, and looked him straight in the eyes. "I believe you. That should count for something right?" She said, "Don't let this get to you, okay? I got your back."

He doesn't know how she was going to get his back when she wasn't around when the incident supposedly happened, and thought it made no sense. Still, he knows she means it and it made him feel better. After all, she believes in him, and it does count for something. And he was finally able to crack a smile.

He sighed, his eyes turning mellow, his features softening. "What would I do without you?"

She smiled at him, lovingly placing a hand on his chest, over his heart. "I don't know." she said, "I do know that there's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

He just had to go for a kiss then, and he did. He kissed her gently, softly brushing his tongue on her lips, lightly parting her lips, nibbling at them tenderly, until she returned his kisses and allowed him to claim her mouth. It started to become heavier then, when suddenly they both heard a strange grumbling sound which ruined the moment.

"What was that?" Arianne said, laughing as she pulled away.

"Uh…sorry, my bad." Randy said, rather embarrassed. "I haven't eaten anything for lunch yet."

"Oh, my poor baby!" She cooed, pinching his cheeks. "Come on, let's get you something to eat."

His face lit up when she said that and his eyes sparkled mischievously. "Did you lock the door?" He asked.

"Yeah, why?" She asked. But as soon as she did, she knew what he was thinking. "No! I don't mean me, I mean real food, you naughty boy!" She said, putting her hands on her hips.

He laughed, "Hey, it was worth a try!"

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

_February 14, 2010_

.

.

After the house show that evening everyone decided to go to a restaurant they frequent. Arianne didn't come though and even left the arena early. She said she had something important that she needed to do. Randy wanted her to come, since it was Valentines and it was one way for them to celebrate it incognito.

Because of that, he was not in the mood, to say the least, the whole time. He just sat there quietly, eating his food, not talking at all. Not even Santino or Hornswoggle could make him crack a smile. He'd just been stressed out the past few weeks and it only started to get better with the dismissal of the charges against him that Thursday.

He just really wanted to spend some time with her because she's been so busy lately and barely stays around. He understands that the writers need to work overtime especially since Wrestlemania is in five weeks, but he can't help but be a little selfish.

And then he received a message.

_[Meet me in ur room. Have something 4 U. – Ari]_

And he was suddenly shot with life and he could barely hide his excitement.

"Hey, ah…I'm not feeling so good." He said, standing up. Everyone on the table looked at him because that was the first sound he made. "I'm gonna go back to the hotel, get some rest."

"Boo, you whore!" Santino joked, "How am I going to get back then?"

He grinned, "I don't know, hitch a ride with John or something."

As quick as that, he was gone.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

_A few minutes later, at Randy's hotel room._

.

.

"Ari?" He said, as he opened the door and walked in. "Babe, are you here?"

The lights were turned off, but there were a few aromatic candlestick lit up around the room. Suddenly, music started playing—a slow sensual ballad of saxophone and percussion, and a lopsided grin lined his lips.

"Come out, come out wherever you are…" He called, smiling mischievously. "Viper's gonna get ya."

"I'm counting on that." Ari said from somewhere he couldn't see. "Sit on the bed, and don't move."

He raised an eyebrow. He was starting to like how things are looking. He walked towards the bed and sat at the foot of it.

"Okay, I'm here." He said, "What now?"

"Um…I guess, I'm gonna come out now." She said.

She came out from the bathroom, wearing a red satin robe that was slightly opened, but tied at the waist. He could also see the fishnet stockings, and her really high-heeled sandals. The light from the candles were dim, but enough for him to see her clearly.

"Whoa…" He uttered, almost involuntarily.

He could see the black and red laced lingerie she had underneath from the opening of her robe, which made him feel warm all over. She looked good, hot and sexy. But she looked embarrassed and a little uncomfortable.

She took a deep breath, and then she started to move her body sensually to the beat of the music. She's a good dancer and she's performed in front of a crowd, on stage as an actress in high school and college, so she thought she'd feel comfortable performing in front of him. She didn't expect to feel embarrassed at all, or nervous for that matter.

She brushed the thought off, and tried to do what she was supposed to. She untied her robe, and let it fall off her body, forming a red puddle of satin at her feet, as she gyrated slowly and sensually.

Randy took a deep breath and leaned back on the bed, propping himself up with an elbow on the bed. He could feel himself getting hotter, and tensing up. He had to put his legs apart because he was starting to feel the tension and fire in his groin. He wanted to pull her to bed with him, but at the same time he wanted to watch her.

She turned around slowly, her body gliding, grinding to the beat of the music, her hips swaying back and forth. He couldn't help but look at her butt, and lick his lips.

"Damn." He said, biting his lower lip.

He sat up and grabbed her but she swatted his hand away.

"Not yet!" She said, "I prepared for this, let me finish!"

He put his hands up in surrender. "Okay, all right!" He said.

He wanted to laugh because she was so serious, but he was too busy thinking about what he wants to do to her after she finishes her little strip dance. So, he just leaned back on the bed at the same position he was in and watched as she took off the little corset part of the lingerie off and tossed it away.

He could almost hear himself growling in his head. Or maybe he was already doing so, softly, anyway. She turned around and teased taking off her bra but didn't. She went for the shoes instead, bending over to unlatch the straps.

"Oh, damn, baby, take it off already!" He said, loudly.

He spoke loud enough that it startled her, making her jump a little. But in the process, her bracelet got hooked on the heel of the sandals, and she fell over on her butt with a loud thump.

"Ow!"

"Fuck!" He exclaimed jumping out of bed and coming to her side. "Are you okay?"

"No! Do I look okay?" She pouted, "It's your fault, you startled me!"

"I'm sorry." He said, trying not to laugh as he picked her up. "Where does it hurt?

"My ankle."

"Who told you to wear these shoes anyway?" He asked. He helped her take them off. "They're not even yours, are they?"

"No…I borrowed them from Maryse." She said, "Stripping was her idea too…I just didn't tell her who I was doing it for."

"Of course you didn't." he said. He put her down on the bed, and was about to get on top of her but she pushed him back.

"No, no, wait!" She sat up, "I have another surprise for you."

"You're not it?" He asked, "We're not doing a threesome are we?" He looked around as if waiting for someone to come out.

"No!" She hit him on the chest, but it didn't really hurt him, even though she put power behind it. "I'm not that kinky!"

He sat on the bed, "Okay, so what is it?"

"Help me up to the bathroom." She said.

"Why? You're gonna pee?"

"Just help me." She said, rolling her eyes.

So he helped her towards the bathroom, and when they got inside, he saw what she had ready for him. She prepared him a warm bubble bath. There was incense burning by the tub, and champagne in an ice-filled bucket too with two stem glasses.

"I was gonna drag you in here after my little performance, if you weren't such a hostile audience." She said, "I thought you could use some relaxation before we drive to the next city."

"You did all this preparation?" He asked. The bathroom didn't look like that when he left that afternoon.

"I did." She said, "Happy Valentines."

"I didn't even get you anything." He said, regretfully.

"You're here." She said, "That's enough for me."

He looked at her, scanning her face, into her eyes. She kept her gaze at him, letting him see through her eyes what she feels. And he did see. He saw something he always sees in her eyes when he looks at them. She loves him.

"I love you." He said.

As if she heard what he said for the first time, her heart just skipped a beat. "I love you, too." She said.

She kissed him then, and he didn't waste any time responding to her, since he'd wanted to do it since he got there. He kissed so vigorously that she almost felt like she was going to drown in his passion.

He ran his hands all over her body, and every contact he made brought surges of electricity on her skin. It didn't help that she was already down to her undergarments.

He was so consumed with passion then that he wanted to get things going. He tried to take things back to the bedroom but the bed looks too far away. She was hanging on to him and they almost fell over, but luckily he felt the sink counter behind him and leaned there for support.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him and she could feel how ready he is to take her, underneath his pants. She kissed him fiercely, a fire slowly building inside her as she pulled him closer. It's like she couldn't get him close enough, that she had to wrap herself around him.

She didn't even realize he had already managed to unhook and pull down her bra until she felt his hand on her bosom, feeling, squeezing, rubbing at the sensitive crown on top of it, making her moan in his mouth.

She had to break the kiss to catch her breath, but as she turned away, he directed his lips towards her neck and collar bone, licking, nibbling at her skin. It had such a strong sensation that she couldn't help but dig her fingers on his skin.

She was making sounds of ecstasy that were music to his ears, and it made him want more. He slid his hands down her lower back, slipping them inside her panties. She bit at him at the curve of his neck a little when he grasped her buttocks before he pulled her underwear down and let it fall to her feet.

The pain made him wilder, and he could barely contain himself. He took his shirt off as quick as he could and threw it wherever like it was on fire, even though it was him who was really on fire. But then he pulled her back into his arms, and he went right back to what he was doing.

"Oh, God…" She groaned.

She couldn't help, it especially when she felt his hand slid down between her thighs, and using his long, strong fingers, rubbing, caressing, traversing, and exploring her. The mixed sensation of pain and pleasure almost made her lose control of herself. She was ready to let go until she realized something.

"Wait!" She said, pulling away.

"Huh? Wha…?" He asked, a little disoriented from suddenly getting pulled out of the zone.

She walked away, without turning her back at him, backing up slowly towards the tub. He was always the one in control in the bedroom, so she wasn't used to taking the reign. But this time, she had to. This was supposed to be her present to him after all, and she had everything planned.

He started to come after her, walking slowly, calculatingly. "Are you trying to get away from me?" He asked, squinting at her, with a devious little smile on his lips. He unbuckled and pulled off his belt.

"N-No…but, you should ah…take your pants off." She said, "The water's getting cold…We want to keep it hot, right?"

"Yeah…keep it hot…it's a good plan." He smirked.

He took his pants off without taking his eyes off her. She watched him get on the tub. He thought it looked a hundred times more inviting, more enticing now that she was in it, that he couldn't get out of the rest of his clothes fast enough.

She got a little nervous when he finally did, especially when she saw what he had underneath it. It's funny because it wasn't like she'd never seen it before, but it always has the same effect on her whenever she sees it. But she fought off the thought. She had a plan and she wanted to stick to it.

She crawled over towards him as he was getting on the tub, making him sit at the edge close to the wall. "Stay right there for a second." She said, placing a hand over his thighs.

"What do you have in mind?" He asked.

She looked at his eyes and she saw how intense he looked. She got between his thighs, as she was on her knees, and pulled him down for a kiss on his lips, along his jaw.

"I think you know what I have in mind." She whispered in his ears before she continued to kiss him all over.

She planted kisses in every inch of his bare skin from his neck, to his taut chest, to his ripped abs as her hands did wonders between his legs, getting it ready. He closed his eyes tightly and threw his head back as she got to her final destination, and lingered there, giving him pleasure like never before.

"Oh, yeah…dammit…" He groaned, grabbing a handful of her hair. "Ummfff…"

When she was satisfied with her work, she stopped and gave him space to slide down the tub, letting him sit at the bottom of it.

He was quick to pull her back towards him and made her sit on top of him, on his lap, straddling him, as he simultaneously claimed her bosom with his mouth, hungrily, that he even growled as he did, drowning her soft moans out.

She could feel how hard he was against her most sensitive spot. She felt herself burning with desire, down to her very core. She wanted him inside her.

Almost instinctively, she rocked her hips back and forth to allow him to enter. He held her firm on her hips, his fingers pressing, sinking on her skin. He knew what she was trying to do and so he moved in rhythm with her, thrusting against her motion, sliding inside, with intent.

As their bodies moved in synch to each other, the water in the tub formed waves, but none as strong as the current of desire engulfing the two of them as they made hot passionate love in it, until they were both making sounds of pleasure in harmony.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

_About an hour or so after Randy left the restaurant…_

.

.

"I hate-a him." Santino said, using his usual Santino accent. "He make-a me drive him around all day and then he just leave me and take the car." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I thought we was friends!"

He got in the car with John and Cody, hitching a ride back to their hotel like Randy suggested he do. He had no choice after all. Randy took the car. He was in the backseat while John was on shotgun and Cody was driving.

"He said he wasn't feeling good, didn't he?" Cody said. "Cut him a break."

"Yeah…he became quiet after the show." Santino said, "He was very lively before we left the arena."

"Well it's Valentine's Day." John said, "Maybe he's lonely…misses the missus."

Cody almost choked on his own spit and started coughing.

"Must be that." Santino agreed.

Suddenly John's phone rang. It was Sam, and she asked if he knew where Randy was because she'd been trying to reach him but he wasn't picking up his phone and was worried.

John told her he went back to the hotel and was probably resting or sleeping because he wasn't feeling well. Sam asked him to see to Randy and to tell him to call her back. John said he would.

"All right…bye." John said, "Have a good night."

"So…he didn't call her when he went back to the hotel?" Cody asked.

"Guess not." John said, "Must really be sick if he didn't even do that."

"Yeah…" Cody said, thoughtfully. "Maybe…" He suspects Randy must be with Arianne, but he wasn't going to tell anyone that.

"Yes, maybe…" Santino said, equally thoughtful. "Why are you allowed to drive John's car but I'm not? You drive like a grandma!"  
>John laughed, "That's exactly why I allow him to drive!"<p>

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

_Back at the hotel…_

.

.

Arianne was sitting behind Randy in the tub, with her legs on either side of him. He was leaning back on her, his arms comfortably anchored around her thighs, with his eyes closed after they've made love. She was scrubbing his chest and arms with the sponge. He couldn't have been happier and more relaxed.

"How are you feeling?" She asked him when he sighed deeply.

"I couldn't be better if I try." He said, opening his eyes and looking back at her. He tipped her chin towards him and kissed her. "You're the best."

She smiled. "Do you want to have the champagne now?"

"Oh, right…I forgot about that." He reached for the bottle and the two stem glasses. "Uh, babe, where's the corkscrew?"

"It's not there? It should be there, on the bucket."

"Nope, not here…" Randy said. "Ah, never mind…" He stood up and grabbed a towel to wrap around his waist. "I'll get my Swiss knife. Stay here."

"Not like I can go anywhere."

"You're getting sarcastic on me now?" He squinted at her.

"Learned from the best." She stuck her tongue out.

"Uh-huh." He smirked

He picked up his pants and underwear as he went inside the room and looked for his Swiss knife inside his bag. It didn't take him long to find it, but he saw all the clothes all over the floor—pieces of her lingerie, her satin robe and his shirt. Being kind of a neat freak, he got a tick to pick them up and put them on a chair neatly. But then suddenly somebody buzzed on the door. He wasn't expecting anyone, especially not at that time of the night.

"Who is it?" He asked, approaching the door.

"Room service!"

"Hmm…" He shook his head, "She really prepared for this…even the room service is timed perfectly." He said, amused.

But then he was shocked when he opened the door. It was not room service, it was John Cena. He burst inside the room as soon as Randy opened the door before he even saw what he only had on.

"John!" Randy exclaimed. He tried to stand in the way so he won't get further in the room. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Whoa!" John said when he saw him. "Sorry I caught you on a wrong time, but…"

"Randy, what's taking you so long?" Arianne suddenly said.

The two men both looked behind and saw her standing there, outside the bathroom door, with only a towel wrapped around her.

"What the…" John said. Then he looked at Randy and finally saw he just had a towel on as well.

Both Randy and Arianne felt as cold as if they've both been splashed with a tub of ice cold water. She stood there, frozen, as if she was planted on the floor, scared and worried. Again, it was Randy who kept his head in the situation. It's almost as if he had nerves of steel.

He closed the door behind him. "John, we need to talk."

"Damn right, we do." John said, still shocked.

Randy walked past him and grabbed the robe on the chair, then walked over to Arianne. He put the robe on her shoulder and kissed her forehead.

"I should go…" Arianne said.

"No, you're staying here." Randy said, "Just…stay in the bathroom for a while…get dressed. I'll take care of this."

"Are you sure?" She asked, "I could just leave…" She glanced over his shoulder, at John, who still looked shocked.

"I'm sure." He said, squeezing her shoulders. "Go on."

So she went to the bathroom and closed the door. She couldn't move further though. She just stood there behind the door, and listened to the two men talk. She couldn't help but cry as she did.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

'

'

"You know this is not going to end well, right?" John said rather than asked.

He was pacing back and forth as Randy sat on the bed with his head down.

"Dude, what the hell are you doing? This is going to put your career down the drain!"

"I know that." Randy said.

"Didn't we talk about this before? You told me, point blank, there was nothing going on with you and Arianne." John said, "And you said you weren't having an affair with her."

"We weren't."

"So what happened then?" John asked, "You just suddenly ended up naked in the same bathroom?"

Randy didn't say anything. How could he explain everything that happened? It just did. He felt what he felt, and did what he did, and he doesn't regret any of it. All the ups and downs, the highs and lows, all of it was worth it.

"That's not what happened."

"Oh, no? What? Did you sent out an invite? Did you get an itch you had to get scratched and she was available?" John said, "Oh, no, wait, did she force you? Did she seduce you?"

"Will you shut up?" Randy's voice went a notch higher this time. It was obvious he was getting angry. "We're here on our own volition. None of your insane theories happened."

"You know you have to end this, right?" John said, "Do the right thing before it gets bad."

"I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?" John said, "Just end it, you both know it's wrong, you both know this isn't going to end good, and you both know this could destroy both of your careers in the company…"

"I can't, okay! I can't leave her!" He snapped, standing up abruptly. "I can't end this, and I'm not going to! Ever!"

"Why the hell not?" John said.

"Because I love her!" He said, "I would go to the depths of hell for her if I have to. And I don't give a damn about what you think—I don't give a rats ass what everyone else thinks, or what the fuck they're all gonna do about it—I'm not giving her up! So you can go and tell whoever you want to tell about it."

When Arianne heard that, from inside the bathroom, she realized how much he really does love her. He was ready to sacrifice everything he had going, and that wasn't a small thing at all. But that's also when she realized that she would sacrifice everything for him—for his benefit. And if that means she had to disappear…

"I don't know what else I gotta say to knock some sense into you." John said. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do." Randy said, "I've never been surer of anything."

"Whatever man." John said. And then he went out of there.

He remained seated at the bed for a while, trying to gather his head, after what happened. She peeked inside and saw him in that situation. He looked despondent and uncertain—or at least that's what she thought he looked like. She crept inside the room, but she didn't go to him. She picked up her things, all the candles, and the CD on the player. That's when he looked up and saw her.

"What are you doing?"

"I…I think maybe I should leave now." She said.

As she said that she actually thought about leaving not just the room, but to leave for real—forever. And as if by some sixth sense or some deeper connection, that's what it felt like she said.

He took her stuff and put them on the floor. "No. You're not going." He said. "You're staying here. You're not going anywhere. I'm not gonna let you."

"But Randy…what if John…"

"Forget about him." He put his arms around her, trying to reassure her. "Listen to me. I know you're scared, but trust me."

"But he's right you know…" Ari said. Her voice muffled as she buried her face on his bare chest. "This could destroy everything you've worked hard for…"

He cupped her face in his hands and looked at her right in the eyes, and as she looked at his eyes, she didn't see doubt in them. It kind of made her feel bad or guilty for doubting his resolve about their relationship. She wanted to be as strong as him, and she hated the thought that maybe she wasn't. That maybe she couldn't. She felt her eyes start to burn as tears bid to form in them and had to turn away.

"Listen, Ari, listen to me…" Randy said, making her look at him. "John…he's got his opinions but he's not going to tell anyone. I know him. And even if he does, I'm not giving you up…I'm not going to leave you. You trust me, right?"

"I trust you." She nodded.

That's when the tears came again. She wished she could say the same to him, but she doesn't know if she could. She doesn't know if she could let him sacrifice everything to be with her. She know how much he's worked to achieve everything he has, and she doesn't know if she could bear knowing that he let all of it go down the drain just because of her.

"Don't cry." He said, as he kissed her tears away. "Please, don't cry."

He continued to kiss her, on the lips, and she kissed him back.

"Let's go to bed, okay?" Randy said, brushing his fingers through her hair.

"Shouldn't I go back to my room?"

"No. Just stay here." He said, he just really wanted her to stay there. "Someone might see you come out of here. Just leave in the morning when everyone's gone."

"Right."

"Go on, get on the bed." He ushered her towards it. "I'll just put something on."

So she got on the bed, under the covers and he put on some clothes and joined her there, and just held her through the night in his arms. To him, it was kind of a way to try and erase any doubt she may have. He held her until he fell asleep as well. But she wasn't really asleep. She just kept her eyes closed and held on to him. Wishing in her mind that she was as strong as he is about all of this.

'

* * *

><p>'<p>

'

_A several days later…_

'

Arianne was at home, thinking about what had happened the last several days. She couldn't help but feel disheartened about how things seem to have turned for the worse. They never expected John to find out. Cody knowing about it was one thing; she knows he wasn't going to say anything, primarily because of her. But John knowing was another thing. For some reason, she was more frightened at the thought of it.

She decided to put her focus on something else to take her mind of it, and cleaned her apartment. She even got to some boxes she never got to unpack upon moving there because she was always busy. She found an old photo album, and skimmed through pages and pages of pictures from her childhood, until she found one from Joseph's 11th birthday. That's when she remembered his birthday was coming in two days.

She decided to call him at the nursing home and maybe schedule a visit so they could celebrate it together. She hasn't heard from him since her last visit, and thought maybe she should put in the effort to fix their relationship. But she was the one who got a surprise instead.

"Hi, I'm Arianne Carter, Joseph Carter's sister. I would like to speak to him." She said over the phone.

"Oh, he's not here." The front desk clerk answered.

"What do you mean he's not there?" She asked, suddenly nervous. "Has something happened to him?"

"No ma'am." The lady said, "He's just not here. He left."

"I-I don't understand." She said, "I'm looking for my brother, he's a patient there, he has no legs, how could he go anywhere?"

"That's the point, ma'am." The lady said, "He got himself some legs and he left two weeks ago. Somebody provided him some prosthetic legs…state of the art, really expensive ones…and then he left. Man in a Rover picked him up."

"Do you know who it was? Did he leave a name?"

"No. Is that all?" The lady said, "I'm busy."

"Yes. Thank you." Then she put the phone down.

She couldn't explain it, but she became really fearful about what she learned. How come Joseph didn't even call her to tell her about it? And who was the man who helped him? Maybe it was one of his friends and there was really nothing wrong with that, but somehow, in her gut, she could sense it wasn't as innocent as it all seems from the outside.

'

* * *

><p>'<p>

'

_Somewhere in New York_

'

"These are good." Joseph said, "These are very good. But your plan's not going to work."

He was in a club—one of the three men there, inside the owner's office, looking at some photos of Arianne and Randy in compromising situations at different locations. There were pictures of them at her apartment, at a parking garage, sneaking around backstage, at the WWE Headquarters' rooftop, and more recently, at a hotel's bathroom, in the tub, in a really compromising position—taken from a hidden camera planted inside.

"You want to bring them both down, not just Randy." He said, "You think if you come out with these to the media that it will rip them apart?" He snickered, "From what you've told me about your encounters with them, you know it's not just a simple sexual affair. They're involved and they're involved deeply."

"What are you saying?" Mark said. "That this isn't going to destroy them?"

"Oh, it will destroy their careers…at least for a while." Joseph said, "But if they are as 'in love' with each other as they seem to be, they won't care about that. They'll choose to be together, and if that's the case, we didn't succeed at anything."

"You really hate your sister, don't you?" Mark asked, snickering.

"She's not my sister." Joseph said. "Not anymore. She doesn't even have the same blood I have in my veins. But yes…to answer your question, I do hate her. I think the fact that we all hate the same people is the main reason why we're all here, after all. Right, Mr. Hammond?"

"That's exactly, why we're all here." Richard Hammond said.

He was the one who's financed everything. Arianne has become somewhat his obsession. He had to have her no matter what, no matter how. If he has to break her down and pick her up from pieces after all this, then so be it, but he has to have her. He'd never wanted anything more since she's turned him down. And Randy, well, he's just going to have to be collateral damage.

'

* * *

><p>'<p>

'

_March 12, 2010_

'

Randy and Arianne have been preventing to be seen alone with each other in public ever since John had walked in on them. Randy wanted to just brush it off and stay the way they've been before, but Arianne was less comfortable about it so he agreed just to keep her calm. She didn't tell him the issue about Joseph.

They were on the road then, and decided to stop over at a diner for lunch. Randy and Santino were still at the counter while Arianne and Cody were already at their table. Cody wasn't talking and she was a little uncomfortable about it, so she decided to start a conversation with him.

"So…the big move's coming up, huh?" She said. "Are you excited about moving to Smackdown?"

"I guess." Cody shrugged. He really had no intention to make her feel awkward talking to him, but that's what happened. Cody felt that though, and so he tried to salvage the situation.

"Anyway…Wrestlemania…Hall of Fame…you're attending, right?" Cody asked, "Ted's dad's going to be inducted."

"Yeah…I don't think I'm going to be around for all of that." Arianne said, "I think I'm gonna just skip it this year."

"Why? It's the biggest pay-per-view of the year, the most important." Cody said, "You can't skip Wrestlemania."

That's when Randy came, and heard what he said. "Who's skipping Wrestlemania?"

Cody realized he didn't know about Ari's plan of skipping it, so he didn't say another word. But he looked at her and Randy caught the glance, and knew the answer.

"You're not skipping it." He told her as he sat down.

"But Randy, you don't understand…" She started to explain, but Santino was there already.

"We'll talk about this later." He said.

"Talk about what?" Santino asked, completely unaware of everything.

"Nothing." Randy and Cody said at the same time.

"Fine, don't tell me anything." Santino said, "I'm too hungry to argue anyway."

They didn't talk about it the whole time they were there, or while they went back on the road, until they had to stop for gas. Cody stayed at the car and load up the gas, while Randy followed Arianne to the shop. Santino had to go to the restroom.

"Okay, what's this about you skipping Wrestlemania?" He asked, "When were you going to tell me about this?"

"I was gonna tell you, I was just waiting for the right time to bring it up."

"What right time? It's two weeks away! You couldn't just tell me 'by the way I won't be around for Wrestlemania'?" He said, obviously irritated. "You couldn't just do that?"

"Fine, so I'm telling you now I'm not coming." She said, as she tried to walk away. She didn't want to cause a scene, but a few people were already looking at them. "I'm skipping the whole thing. There, are you happy now?"

He grabbed her arm, "Don't turn your back on me when I'm talking to you." He said, a little aggravated. But he let go as soon as she turned around. "I'm sorry…" He sighed, "And no, I'm not happy about it."

"But Randy, I can't be there." She said.

She didn't want to tell him, but it was for the sole reason that his family would be there. She'd been thinking about it and she could already imagine how hard it would be, how painful it would be, for her to be there and see him but not be able to be with him at all. She doesn't think she could bear all that.

"Why not?" He asked, "Don't you want to see all our efforts come to fruition first hand? You've worked so hard for this face turn to happen. I want you to be there when they applaud for me. I want to share that with you."

She couldn't say anything. She wanted to be there too and see him get the adulation he deserves, but she's more scared of what the situation would be like if she did.

"Ari please…" Randy said, "I need you there. Didn't you say you'd do anything for me? Well, I'm asking you this now. Please come."

She sighed. How could she say no after that? "Fine…" She said, "I'll be there."

"Really?" He asked, his face suddenly lighting up.

"Yes, really." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Yippie." He smiled. "I love you." He said, with a tune, kissing her on the cheek.

"You should." She said. _You have no idea how hard what you're asking of me really is._ She thought.

He smiled not knowing what she was thinking. "I'll go back to the car." He said, "Hurry up."

She nodded, and he left. She watched him as he went out of the shop. He's done so much more than she'd expected of him, and she thought that sacrifice she was going to have to make come next week would just be her way of repaying him.

She was about to go to the cashier when her phone rang. It was Joseph.

"Joseph? Where are you? I called the home and…"

"Shut up!" Joseph said. "It doesn't matter where I am. Stop acting like you care."

"J-Joseph, what are you talking about?"

"You didn't really think I was going to change my mind about you just like that, did you?" He laughed, "You're as feeble as you've always been."

"Joseph…why…?"

"How's your boyfriend by the way?" He said, "Is he still screwing you? Don't deny, because I have proof he is, you know like pictures and videos and such. You know you really should be careful where the two of you hang out…or fuck for that matter…see, I have a couple of other friends that hates you and him as much as I do…and we're going to bring you down. We're going to destroy you, and we're going to destroy him. Can you imagine what would happen if these evidence get to the wrong hands? Or the right hands actually…"

She had heard enough. She doesn't know if it was the fact that she got played by Joseph, or that she was so angry at him at that moment for what he was threatening to do against Randy, but she just blew up.

"Now, you listen to me you son of a bitch!" She said, "I've had about enough of you, so God help you if I ever see you, because I swear I'm going to kill you." She could feel her whole body shaking in anger. "You're not going to do anything to him. You hate me so much, hurt me, not him, you hear me? I'm not gonna let you…"

"Tough talk, Arianne." He said, cooly. "But I'm sorry to tell you…the motions have already been set for your downfall."

Then he ended the call abruptly. If she'd been worried before, this has definitely added to her burden. She felt like her world was shaking, falling apart and there was nothing she could do. She looked at Randy waiting outside, leaning outside the car, signaling for her to hurry up. She knows she has to do something. There has to be a way. But at that moment, everything seems dim.

She was quiet all the while on the road. Even when Santino started to make jokes, it was like her mind was flying off somewhere. It's like she wasn't there in the car. She was just looking outside the window, even though there was nothing to see because it was already dark.

Randy noticed it of course, and was a little disconcerted. Somehow he felt hesitant to ask her what the matter was, because he was afraid to make it worse. He thought it may be something about him, or her showing up at Wrestlemania. He does know the reason why she didn't want to be there. It was the same reason she didn't show up on SummerSlam months ago. But he just really wants her to be there.

'

* * *

><p>'<p>

**A/N Thank you so much for reading! I hope you continue to read the next chapters. Feel free to comment, please. Also, I apologize it took me really long to put up this chapter. **


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

_**'**_

_**'**_

_**Wrestlemania Weekend**_

Arianne arrived that afternoon at the hotel. She didn't see Randy though, so she texted him, but he didn't reply. After she'd rested, she decided to come down to the hotel's restaurant to get something to eat. That's where she saw him. He was by himself, reading a book.

"There you are!" She said as she sat down on the chair adjacent to him.

"Hey…when did you get here?" He asked.

"This afternoon." She said, "Didn't you get my message?"

He took his phone out and it was turned off, "Oh, it's dead. Sorry."

"That's all right, you're here now." She beamed. "So…did you lunched yet? Let's get something to eat. I'm famished!"

"You ready to go, honey?" Sam said suddenly from behind them.

Arianne was surprised to see her. So surprised in fact that she felt like she'd been splashed by a pail of ice-cold water and she couldn't react for a second. She didn't expect what Sam said at all.

"Oh, hello Arianne." She said, "It's nice to see you again."

"Uhm…Yeah…"

She looked at Randy, wide-eyed, and he nodded at her inconspicuously. He was basically telling her to go along, and she got that.

"I-It's nice to see you again…too." She said.

Sam sat at by Randy's other side. "I really wanted to see you. We have a lot to talk about."

"W-we do?" Arianne said, hesitantly.

She kept looking at Randy for any clue what Sam could've meant, but he just kept giving her the same signal. It's like being put on a spot, and she had to act out impromptu because nothing could've prepared her for that.

"Yes. I feel really bad about what happened the last time." Sam said, "I was mean to you…but now I know you and Randy are just friends. You've really done great writing for him."

"Oh…yeah…yeah, thanks." She said, "Forget about it, it's all in the past. I'm…I'm glad you're okay with our…friendship. It's really more professional than anything. Right, Randy?"

"Huh?" Randy said, looking like a deer caught in the headlight, for suddenly being sucked into the conversation. "Uh, yeah…professional. Really. That's all."

Sam smiled, "I believe you." she touched his arm. "So we're going to head out for lunch. Maybe you want to join us, Arianne?"

Arianne and Randy exchanged looks. "Oh…uhm…" She stammered, thinking of a something to say. "N-nah…I'm…I'm not really hungry…you guys go." She glanced at Randy, "I'll be fine."

He felt bad about it, but what can he do? Now he realized why Arianne didn't want to be there, but it's too late now.

"Well, all right then. Some other time, maybe." Sam said, as she stood up. "Let's go, Randy?"

"Yeah…" He stood up then too. "Let's."

"See you around, Arianne." Sam said.

"See you." She said.

And then they left her. Randy looked back at her and mouthed the words 'I'm sorry.' She didn't say or expressed anything back. She just felt nailed on the chair. She couldn't move. She couldn't leave. She couldn't breathe. Her eyes were warm and she felt like crying, but she fought hard not to let the tears fall. She just wanted to disappear right then, knowing that won't be the only time something like that was going to happen.

She didn't even try to contact him the whole day, and tried to focus on her work. But in moments when she's all by herself, she couldn't help but think about the situation and it kills her every time.

But then, she remembers Joseph's threats and thought maybe its best they keep away from each other for now, while his wife was around. It doesn't make it easier, but it made sense. That's why when he went to ask her to come with him to the fan axxess she declined.

"What do you mean you're not coming?"

"It means I'm not going with you." She said. She sat in front of the mirror. "I have other stuff to do. I can't come, I'm sorry."

"But we've talked about this." Randy said, "Sam already knows you're coming with me…"

"So am I supposed to feel better about that?" She snapped. But she caught herself in time and put the breaks on. "I'm sorry…there's just…a lot on my mind."

"No…it's all right." He said. He put his hand over her shoulder, "I know the situation is hard, but I'm trying to make it work for you…for us."

"You think it's working this way?" She looked at him on the mirror. "You have no idea of the gravity of our situation."

_You only know half of it, Randy. _She thought. _But I'm afraid to let you know everything._

He sighed, "All right…if you don't want to go I'm not going to force you." He said, "I'll see you later?"

"That's all you can do…see me." She tried to joke, but it was obvious in her weak little smile that she didn't find it funny herself.

'

* * *

><p>'<p>

'

_**Saturday, Hours before the Hall of Fame Ceremony**_

_**'**_

Arianne was sitting on the bed in her hotel suite, staring at the dress she was going to wear for the night. She still doesn't know if she wants to go to the HOF ceremony and go through everything. She recalled how it went down last year, when she wasn't with Randy yet. It all seemed so easy then.

So much has changed in that one year. It was the same night they shared their first kiss inside that empty hotel restaurant. She remembered how he held her as they danced, just the two of them. She wondered what would've happened, where would they be now, if that didn't happen. She couldn't even picture it.

Suddenly someone knocked on her door. She half jumped out of bed hoping it was Randy, but it wasn't. It was Cody.

"Oh…hey, Codeman." She said.

"Wow, thanks, I feel so welcome." Cody said sarcastically. "You seem so happy to see me."

"Sorry. Come in." She smiled weakly. "So…what's up?"

"Nothing…I just thought I'd check up on you. How you're doing." He said, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…relatively." She said, sitting back on the bed.

"Is that what you're wearing tonight?" He asked when he saw her dress. "It's gonna look great on you."

"Yeah…I'm not even sure if I'm really going."

Cody dropped his head, "I hate to say it Ari, but…I told you so." He said, "I told you before, I warned you…you're only gonna get hurt."

"I know that, Cody." She said, "I feel that…pain, every single second that I know he's with her, whether I see them or not. But Cody…if I'm to choose between that and not having him in my life…Cody, I'd rather hurt."

"Well then you better attend the ceremony." Cody said, "It'll raise more suspicions if you don't…especially since we're not the only ones who know anymore."

He really wanted to rub the situation in her face, but seeing her looking as downtrodden as she was at that moment, he just didn't have the heart to.

"We can go together like last year if you like." Cody said, "So you don't feel awkward."

She looked up at him and took his hands. "You're a good friend, Cody." She said, "You're right…I chose this, I should take everything that comes with it, all the baggage. Besides…I promised him I'll go."

So Arianne decided to go to the HOF ceremony with Cody, hoping that somehow she was prepared enough to face all the pain she knew she was going to feel. But she was wrong. When they came down to the hotel lobby and saw Randy and Sam, she could feel her heart starting to crack that she could almost hear it.

She tried her best to divert her attention, but just the knowledge at the back of her head that he was there, with her, was already killing her every second. She didn't even look at him when he and Sam approached her and Cody to complement her dress. Randy on the other hand just stood there silently, looking at her, perhaps knowing how she must have been feeling at that very moment.

Unfortunately, the seats were assigned and she couldn't sit with Cody during the ceremony. She was sitting several rows behind Randy and she could see the two of them clearly. She tried to focus on what was happening on the stage but her attention just gravitates towards him.

And every second she's staying there was putting a strain in her heart. It was like she couldn't even breathe because her chest was so constricted, and crushing in on her heart. She thought her heart was going to shatter into million little pieces if she didn't go. So she did the only thing she could to avoid it.

She stood up and went outside to get some air, hoping nobody would notice. But Randy noticed her as she sneaked out the side door. He wanted to tell Cody to check up on her, but decided to do it himself. He saw her talking with Drew (McIntyre) because she accidentally bumped into him, literally, and suddenly felt his temper flare.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you." Drew said, handing her her purse.

"It's okay." She smiled, "It's my fault I wasn't looking at where I was going."

"Neither was I...Well, I'll see you inside then." He said, touching her arm before he walked off.

"What the f*ck was that about?" Randy said suddenly behind her, startling her.

"It was nothing. We just bumped into each other." She said, walking away.

He followed her, "I don't want you talking to him." He said, "And where are you going anyway?"

She shot a look at him. "I will talk to whomever I want, and I'm going wherever the hell I want to…it's none of your business." She said, "Why don't you just go back there and be where you're supposed to be!"

Then she just stepped in the ladies room. She's just a mess, with all different sorts of emotions going through her and she didn't exactly want to confront it. Randy almost followed her there too if he didn't get blocked by someone coming out from it. So he just stood there outside the door and waited for her.

There were only three other people inside and they've all came out one by one, but Arianne stayed inside longer because she didn't want to talk to him. She won't admit it to herself but she blames him. How could he let her go through with it? What did he want to prove? That she'll do anything for him? That she's his property? The attitude he had telling her not to talk to Drew just added to her annoyance.

When the others left the ladies room, that's when she went inside one of the cubicles and sat there and tried to make herself calm down to no avail. Randy was getting impatient waiting for her to come out, so he pushed the door slightly open with his foot, enough to peek in and see if there was anyone else inside. He didn't see her or anyone else, so he looked around to see if anyone was looking, and when he was sure no one was, he went inside and locked the door.

"Ari, where are you?" He called out. She didn't answer. "I know you're here, just come out…let's talk about this."

"Damn it, Randy, just leave me alone, will you?" She said.

He knew then which cubicle she was in, so he went there. "Open the door, Ari."

"No. Just go back inside, leave me alone." She said, "I don't want to talk right now."

"I said open the damn door or I'm going to break it." He said, with more authority, which she didn't appreciate.

"Fine!" She opened the door, and stormed out. "You don't want to leave? Then I'm going to leave!"

But he caught her arm, "Get back here!" He said, "Why are you acting up?"

"Let go of me, Randy!" She glared at him, and struggled to let herself loose. "You're not my boss! You can't tell me what to do about everything! I've done too much and you don't even know!"

"Stop it! Ari, stop struggling!" He held her then, forcibly, in his arms. "Stop it! You're gonna get hurt, you're gonna make me hurt you!"

"What? You don't think you've hurt me enough already?" She said, as her tears suddenly burst out of her eyes, and she just felt all her energy depart her. "You don't have any idea how much all this is hurting me, do you? What the hell are you trying to prove?"

"No, you're wrong." He said, softly. He held her up and wrapped his arms around her. "I do know…And I'm sorry. I didn't realize until it was too late." He cupped her face in his hands, "I'm not trying to prove anything. I'm sorry if I made you feel that way. I just wanted you to be here…I want to have you around. I'm sorry."

She wouldn't look at him though, and she turned away when he tried to kiss her. "I just want to go." She said weakly.

"All right…" He sighed, and let go of her. "I'm not gonna stop you."

She walked over to the sink and cleaned off the mascara that had smeared around her eyes. He just stood there and watched her quietly, with every movement she made eating at him. He should have never coerced her to come. She didn't even look at him or said anything as she walked towards the door.

"I-I'll come tonight, I promise." He said, in an attempt to make her feel better.

"Whatever." She said before she went out the door.

'

* * *

><p>'<p>

'

_**Later that night…**_

_'_

_[Meet me at the parking lot. I'm waiting in the car. ]_

The message read. She deleted it immediately. It was from Randy. She didn't want to do it, but figured if she kept the message, she'd keep looking at it and might even change her mind. All she wanted right then was to be with him, but the past couple of days made her wary. She's always worried that someone's watching her every move, especially when she and Randy are together.

She turned her phone off because he keeps calling, and she didn't want to pick up. Then she decided to just try and get some sleep.

Randy on the other hand was getting frustrated by the second. He felt even more hopeless when she turned her phone off and his calls were redirected to her voice mail. Sam had decided to go back to the hotel after the ceremony to take care of Alanna, but he told her he wanted to stay for the after-party. At least that's where he said he'd be. He only stayed for a bit and then decided to go see Arianne, but she wasn't making it easy.

Finally, he decided to just give it up and go to his suite. He thought she wasn't coming. That's why he was surprised when he came out of the car and saw her a few feet away as he locked the door. She was standing by a post, in the dark, inconspicuously.

"Ari?" He called.

She took a few steps forward, and he could see the hesitation in her face, so he walked over to her instead. He was going to kiss her but she turned away and pulled back.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"We need to talk." She said, "I need to tell you something very important. Can we go someplace else?"

"Yeah, sure." He said.

He led her to the car and they drove off. She didn't tell him where she wanted to go, so he just drove until they found a motel along the highway and got them a room. She wasn't talking at all, so he thought it's what she wanted too. But he was wrong.

As soon as he locked the door behind him, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her towards him as he claimed her mouth. He kissed her so passionately, as if making up for the times he wanted to but couldn't, that she almost gave in and forgot what she had to do—what she had to tell him. She regained her self-control soon enough.

"Wait, Randy, hold on…" She pulled away from him. "Let's…let's just talk first. Please?" She held his hands. "It's really important."

"Okay…" he said. He felt a little nervous about what she was going to tell him. "Let's sit down."

They sat at the foot of the bed, and slowly, nervously, she started to tell him everything that she'd been hiding from him from the start. She told him all about how her parents died, and about her brother and how they initially planned on destroying him.

"You what?" Randy couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You can't be serious!"

"I'm sorry. It's the truth. I just want to come out and tell you everything…"

"I can't believe you!" He yelled, as he stood up abruptly. "How could you do that to me? After everything?"

"It was before all this!" She said, trying to touch him but he pushed her away. "Listen to me; I changed my mind a long time ago."

"And I'm supposed to believe you now?" He snapped at her. "How would I know you're telling me the truth now? That you're not still going through with your plans? Why should I believe you?"

"Because, I love you!" She said, "I gave you everything I had! I gave you all of me! Isn't that enough proof?"

"How do I know you only gave yourself to me?" He said, "For all I know you slept your way to get here just to go through with you and your brother's plan!"

Something came over Arianne when he said that. Suddenly she felt herself about to blow up. She felt angry and betrayed. After all the sacrifices that she'd made the past few days, all the heart aches, all the alarm and worry she'd felt for him from the people who wanted to hurt him by using her for the last month.

After everything that she'd given to him and given up for him, he had the audacity to tell her that—to question her like that? It was too much a blow to her honor that she lost control of herself and slapped him across the face with all her might.

"How dare you say that to me?" She said. Her tears began to fall out of her eyes because of anger. "How dare you imply that I used my body to get ahead?"

She tried to hit him again, over and over, but he shielded himself with his arms then.

"You should know! You should know that's not true! You should know!"

"Stop it!" He said. He didn't understand what she was saying—what he should know. "What should I know? Stop it!"

She wouldn't stop hitting him though, so on one desperate attempt to avoid getting hit again, Randy pushed her towards the bed. Unfortunately, he miscalculated and pushed her too hard that it shocked the both of them.

"I-I'm sorry." He said.

"Get out…GET OUT!" She screamed.

She threw anything she could get her hands on at him, and kept screaming for him to get out.

"Ari, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…" He pleaded, trying to come close but he couldn't.

"I said get the hell out you son of a bitch!" She yelled, as she kept throwing stuff at him while crying. "I hate you! Get the fuck out of here! I never want to see you again! Get out!"

She threw her shoe at him and it hit him hard on the shoulder, and that's when he lost his patience completely.

"Fine! You hate me?" He said, erupting in anger, his eyes glistening and his face red. "Well I hate you too, you bitch! I HOPE I NEVER see you again!"

Then he stormed out of there, slamming the door shut on his way out. He went back to his car and tried to put the key into the ignition, but his eyes were so blurry because of his anger that he couldn't slip it in. In his frustration he threw the key to the floor of the car and slammed his hands on the steering wheel. He tried to tell himself to calm down, but it doesn't seem to be working.

'

Meanwhile, Ari sat there on the bed of the motel, trying to get herself together, but having a hard time doing so, with all the mix of emotions she had going through her. She could feel herself shaking in anger that she decided to take a shower to cool herself down, but it wasn't working.

Then she heard someone come inside the room. It was Randy, and he slammed the door shut again as he stepped inside. She grabbed the robe and put it on and went out of the bathroom, her anger boiling even more because of him having the nerve to come back.

"Ari! Where are you? Get out here!" He yelled.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She yelled back, as she came towards him. "You have some kind of nerve coming back!"

"Shut the fuck up!" He said.

Suddenly he grabbed her and pinned her hard against the wall and kissed her fiercely. She struggled to break free from him, and as soon as she did, she slapped him across the face, with more force this time. There was fire in her eyes from the anger burning inside her. She was breathing hard, feeling the intensity of emotions rushing through, her heart pounding, beating a hundred miles an hour.

He was looking at the floor for a moment, feeling his temperature rising. He could taste his own blood in his mouth. He turned towards her, gritting his teeth, with his eyes ablaze, trying to keep himself from erupting. But it was getting harder by the second. He licked his blood as it trickled down the corner of his lips. He was puffing and huffing as he looked at her.

Without warning, she lunged at him. He was caught off guard, thinking she was going to hit him again, but she didn't. Instead she grabbed around his neck, pulling him down, and kissed him. It took him a moment to react, but then he kissed her back, violently, driving her back up against the wall again with a loud thud, almost lifting her off her feet as he pressed himself against her body, ravaging her as if he was a hungry beast and she was his prey.

But she wasn't going to be just a willing prey. She tasted his blood in her mouth and it woke up something in her, something more feral, something…_wilder_. She matched his ferocity and intensity at every turn, fighting him off and fighting him back. The photos on the wall shook and crashed on the floor because of her struggling.

This excited him even more. Maybe it was the adrenaline surge that running through his veins. Or maybe it was just the beast in him. He could sense she felt the same. Whether from anger or passion, they didn't know-it was hard to distinguish at the state they were in when they've let their primal instincts take over.

She pushed him off of her, but grabbed a handful of his shirt and it ripped off, right down the middle. He was surprised at her show of strength for a second. He took the torn shirt off and threw it on the floor as he spat out blood from his mouth. Then he lunged at her, turning her around and making her face the wall, wrenching her arms behind her with one hand, as he unzipped his pants.

"Get off me, you bastard!" She said.

"Or what? Huh?" He hissed in her ear.

He put his knee up between her legs a forced them apart. She could feel him, hard, pressing and rubbing against her butt through the thick cotton fabric of her robe.

"Or I'll scream!" She growled, struggling still.

"Scream then!" He growled back, biting at her ear. "I don't give a shit!"

She had to get out from under him, but she couldn't move. She was not going to let him have his way, so she did the only thing she could think of and head butted him.

"Dammit! What the fuck?" He yelled, as he backed off of her, covering his mouth because she hit him where he was bleeding inside his mouth already.

She pushed him down a chair and he fell backwards. It was a good thing it was standing next to the wall so it supported his weight but not without making a loud thud on the wall.

"Think you can just have your way with me like that?" She screamed.

She swung again but missed so he caught her arm and pulled her towards him. She crashed on top of him, and he grabbed her and kissed her forcefully slipping his tongue into her mouth, and searching for hers. She was resisting him at first, and he had to wrap his arms around her to lock her in place and also so she'd stop hitting him.

But then he felt her slowly kissing him back, accommodating his advances, and she stopped struggling to get away. She even straddled him, putting her legs on either side of him, rocking her hips and rubbing up on him, so he relaxed his hold. She bit his lip, not hard, but enough to make him groan. But it wasn't really because of the pain anymore. No, he wasn't feeling pain at all. It was all pure unadulterated excitement that was coming over him.

And then he felt her sliding down, little by little, licking, biting, and nibbling at his searing hot skin. He released her completely, thinking she'd been tamed. He closed his eyes in ecstasy, and let her take control. But he was suddenly pulled from his reverie when he felt her bite him below, hard, on his lower abdomen.

"Aaarrgh!" He roared, as he grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her up off of him.

"I hate you!" She said, trying to set her hair free. "Let go!"

"Stop it!" He yelled back. "You're making me angry!"

"And you think I'm not angry?" She said.

She swung again, but he caught her this time. He scooped her up on his shoulders and carried her towards the bed where he slammed her down the mattress. She tried to get up but he pushed her back down. She wasn't wearing anything under the robe and she was exposed then, especially when he untied her robe and spread it open.

He got on top of her pinning her arms above her head with one hand, as he slithered out of his underwear with the other, and afterwards clutched and gripped at her soft, feverish flesh. He was moving in such a frenzied manner, as if he doesn't know where to put his mouth on. But anywhere he does felt like coals burning her skin, making her moan in pain and pleasure. Her senses were on high and every little thing he did was magnified a thousand times over.

He pulled one of her legs up and positioned himself between her thighs. He had only one thing on his mind right then.—to take her, whether she likes it or not.

"Hmm…Randy…Stop…" She said.

She tried to say it with more conviction, and sound like she didn't like what he was doing, but she found it hard to do so.

"Stop fighting me." He said through gritted teeth, his breath hot on her skin.

But those words reminded her that she was supposed to be fighting him and not let him get in control. So she gathered all her strength and stuck her knee on his side, throwing him off of her.

"Aaahhh!" He screamed in pain, wincing.. "The fuck, Ari!"

She tried to escape by crawling to the other side of the bed, but he caught her robe and pulled it off her. She almost slipped out of his grasp, if he had not grabbed her foot and dragged her back down to his side of the bed and mounted her.

"Randy, let me go dammit!" She yelled, her voice muffled.

"Not until I'm done with you!" He yelled back.

She was sprawled; face down on the mattress, with him on top of her with all his weight on her as he clenched his hands on her hips. She tried to twist and turn around to escape, but it was difficult to maneuver with his weight on her.

They both stopped when someone started knocking on the door loudly.

"Hey, is everything all right in there?" A man said.

Randy recognized the voice as the guy who was at the reception. Somebody must've called and reported about all the noise they were creating.

He knocked again, more frantically. "Is everything all right in there? Hello?"

Randy and Arianne looked at each other, waiting for the other to react. For a second he thought he was going to go through with her threat and scream for help.

"Now's your chance." He said breathing, panting, and sweat forming on his forehead.

"Yeah!" She said suddenly, to his surprise. "Everything's fine!"

He looked at her straight in her eyes. They were so full of life. They were burning, burrowing through him, dilated with desire, and passion. It made him hotter, made him want her more, feeling his own desire and passion elevate.

"Are you sure?" The man said outside.

"YES!" Both of them hissed at the same time.

"Well, keep it down!" The man said, "There are other people here and they're complaining!"

The man said something else, but they weren't really listening anymore. She was done fighting him. There was no sense to it. But then again, nothing between them makes sense. It just is.

Still sprawled, and pinned under him, she reached behind for him and kissed him with fervor. He pushed himself up, propping his hands on the mattress to allow her enough leeway to get on her hands and knees.

There was nothing left to do. She was his for the taking, and took her he did. He thrusted himself, hard, all the way inside her, that made her let out a muffled cry, and him to grumble. But the pain was nothing in contrast with the pleasure and ecstasy enveloping the both of them.

He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his whole entity, like a car engine pumping gas to power him up. He pulled himself out for a moment before he thrusted again, harder. She threw her head back as her spine buckled, biting her lip from the brunt of it.

He began to move in rhythmic fashion at first, and then faster and more erratic, grunting as he did. He held her steady, gripping at her pelvis, his fingers digging at her flesh. He wasn't going to stop until he was satisfied. Her body was rocking back and forth with each impact his body makes with hers. Each impact making the fire building below and inside her burn hotter by the second.

"Oh, god….Randal…so good…Randal…" She moaned.

The way she said—moaned his name was like music to his ears, stimulating him. He had all his weight on her, and her arms were getting tired. He maneuvered their position so they would be lying on their sides, her back still on him, snuggling her. He lifted her outer leg up and over his thigh for easier access and freer movement.

He wrapped himself around her, his arms and hands all over her body like a snake, clasping at her tightly. He had a hand over her breasts, moving from one to the other, clutching, squeezing and rubbing them for his pleasure, while his other hand stimulated her from below, adding fuel to the fire she was already feeling down there.

She couldn't even say anything, but to moan and whimper. She was in too far and too deep into the nirvana he has taken her to. She strained to kiss him, twisting her body to reach him. She could feel all of him, inside her and all over her body. The pulsating, throbbing, pounding, burning, and nipping—she felt it all, and it was taking her to some place in her psyche she'd never been nor ever imagined she could go.

"Uhhh…Ari…f**k…damn it…" He groaned his voice low and gruff, reverberating on the skin of her neck. "So f***ing tight…Hrrmm.."

"Hmm…god…Randy...aahhh…so deep.." She said, breathlessly, her voice, no more than a soft squeak. "Baby…I'm gonna come again…"

"Oh….yesss…god…Ari…" He hissed, "Oh, I'm almost there…"

In a few seconds, they climaxed at the same time, resulting in an orgasmic explosion neither of them had ever experienced before. But it didn't end there. They wanted more. The adrenaline in their system was too high and there was no slowing down for either of them at that point.

Whenever it seems like he was relenting, she was there to take control, maneuvering to take the lead, giving him back everything he did to and for her. But when he finds an opportunity to take back the reign, he doesn't let it pass. He seizes it fully, manipulating her, twisting her around and turning her over in every which way he wanted to take her. And when he does, she lets him and she likes it. She knows resistance is futile and challenging him only makes him do worse…or better, depending on how you see it.

'

'

* * *

><p><strong>AN Hi, everyone! Thanks for subscribing and favoriting this story! There's only a few more chapters left, so I hope to hear from you, what you think of the story. It will be greatly appreciated. :) Well, I hope you enjoyed this and continue reading the next few chapters! :D ↨3**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hi! I just want to thank everyone for reading this story, especially those that read from the start. It's almost to an end and I hope you continue reading to the last period. Also, I will be posting another story after this. Somewhat a 'prequel'. I hope you like that one too. Oh, and by the way, I have placed a couple of notes for music suggestions in this chapter. You should listen to those songs, if you don't know them. It will give you a really good 'feel' of the scene/s. Thanks! See you next chapter! Comments/Reviews as always are appreciated. :)**

**Chapter 19**

'

'

Meanwhile, at the hotel, Sam had finally put Alanna to sleep. She had been a little restless because the place was not familiar to her. She was getting ready to sleep herself when the phone rang. She thought it might be Randy.

"Hello?"

No one answered, but she could hear there was music in the background as well as the sound of cars passing by.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" She said, "Randy, is that you?"

Still, there was no answer. But this time, she could hear the other person breathing.

"I know you're there, I can hear you breathing." She said, "Who is this?"

"Do you know where your husband is?" The man said from the other end.

His tone wasn't exactly one of inquiry, but more mocking her, as if he knew something she didn't.

"Of course I do." She said, rather indignantly. "He's at the Hall of Fame after party!"

The man laughed at the other end, hearing how angry she was already getting. "Oh, Mrs. Orton…I wonder how much angrier you'd be when you find out he's not where you think he is?"

"W-what do you mean?" She asked, but he just laughed again. "Just tell me what you want to say and stop laughing!"

"Fine." The man said, suddenly being serious. "Your husband isn't at the after party. He's in a motel, down the highway with his mistress, doing god knows what and enjoying themselves. I'm pretty sure you know it's his writer, Arianne Carter. I've actually witnessed them, not that either of them knows, but I can assure you…they can get real hardcore…"

"SHUT UP!" Sam said. She felt she was going to lose her temper, so she had moved to the bathroom, so as not to wake Alanna up. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Oh, I don't want anything from you." He said, "I'm just a concerned citizen. It's up to you what you want to do with the information I'm giving you. I don't really give a fuck."

"I don't believe you." She said, "I don't believe any of this!"

"Hmm…Now how did I know you were going to say that?" The man said, "I also know you do believe me. But just in case you didn't, I have something for you. Do you want to know what it is?"

Sam was hesitant. Did she believe him or did she not? A part of her doesn't want to, but something inside her knew there could be truth in what this man was telling her. "What is it?"

"I left you a little something at the reception." The man said, laughing. "It's a _surprise_!"

Then he cut the call off. Sam thought about it for a minute, wondering what the surprise was. She picked up the phone and called reception. There was indeed something for her—a sealed brown envelope. She asked for it to be taken to their room because she didn't want to leave Alanna alone.

A few minutes later, somebody delivered it to her. She immediately opened the envelope. There were a couple of CDs in it, one labeled 'pictures' and the other 'video'. Instantly, she got an idea of what it could be. But she had to make sure. So she took the laptop and popped the CD in—the one labeled 'video', and watched. She couldn't watch past ten minutes of it, and took the CD out.

She was very angry, furious in fact, trying to think what she had to do now that she'd seen her suspicions are real, with her own two eyes. He'd been a great husband that she had believed her suspicions was invalid, that she was being paranoid. It was all making sense to her now. He hid it very well. They both did, right in front of her face.

She took the other CD and put it in the laptop, and looked at all of it, with each picture making her angrier. Then she picked up her mobile phone. She was going to call him, but she didn't want him to hear the anger in her voice, so she just sent him a message. Besides, she didn't want to hear whatever it is those two could be doing in the background.

'

'

* * *

><p>'<p>

_**Around 4 in the morning…**_

'

'

They lay awake on the bed naked and sticky from all the sweat and other stuff. Both tired and spent. Neither of them had any sleep at all since they kept each other awake and on edge all night.

She was curled up beside him with her head on his stomach, looking at him as he sleeps, his chest moving in rhythm with his breath. He had a hand over her knees as he slept, as if making sure she wasn't going to leave without him knowing.

She moved around slowly, trying not to wake him up, and laid down beside him, in the nook between his arm and torso, putting her head over his chest and her arms around him. Tired as she was, she still couldn't sleep. She had a lot on her mind, about everything they have yet to talk about.

He felt her hand tracing the protruding bone of his left collarbone, the one he broke almost two years ago, before his motor biking accident. He put his arm around her and held her closer, and took her hand to his lips and kissed it before he kissed her on her forehead.

"Did I wake you up?" She whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Nah…I wasn't really sleeping." He said.

"Randy, can I ask you something?" She said. "Why did you come back? We could've ended things right then, and we won't have to worry about anything anymore since it's over."

"You know what? You're right." He said, "Things could have been easier if I didn't come back. If I just left you, and just ended us that way."

He turned towards her and tipped her face so she could look at him.

"But I couldn't do that to you." He said, "I'm in this way too deep, and I love you way too much to leave all of this like that. I don't care about the past. I've never been one to dwell in it and I'm not going to start now. Not when I know you love me too…much more than I deserve to be loved. And you're right, I should've known that…"

"No! No, you're wrong. You do deserve it. You deserve everything I gave you. You do." She said, touching his face. "You're the only reason I'm still here…why everything make sense in my life. If it hadn't been for you...I don't know where I'd be." Her eyes began to water, and they were gleaming with her tears even in the dark. "I draw strength from you. You're the closest thing I have to a home…and I can't love you enough."

"Shh." He held her close and kissed her. "Baby, it's all you. You're tougher than anyone I know. After all that's happened to you, after all you've been through, to still be standing strong and be able to care about other people. You have the biggest heart of anyone I know."

"I wish I was as tough as you think I am." She said, "Randy, I can't even do anything to protect you from my brother…"

"You don't have to." He said, "We're in this together. I don't know what we're going to do yet, but it will come to us. We'll get through this, just like all the other problems we had. But you got to let me in. You don't need to protect me, and I'm not going to let you handle it on your own. You understand? I love you Ari."

"I love you, too." She said, holding him tighter.

* * *

><p>'<p>

**[A/N Now would be a good time to listen to Stay by Sugarland. :) ]**

* * *

><p>'<p>

They stayed like that for a while, just listening to each other's breath—to each other's heartbeat. She almost wished they could stay like that forever…if only things were different. Suddenly his phone sounded off, taking them both out of their reverie. He reached for his pants and took his phone from the pocket and read the message.

"What's wrong?" She asked when he heard him sigh.

"It's Sam." He said, "She's waiting for me."

"Oh…" She sat up. "Well…you better go." She said.

"What about you?"

"I'll stay here for a while…We can't go back together." She said, "It'd be too obvious."

"Are you sure you want me to leave?" He placed his hand on her knees.

She smiled weakly and touched his hand. "I'm sure." She said, turning away. "Go on and get dressed."

So he stood up and got dressed. She just sat there quietly, watching him. She doesn't want him to leave. She wants to tell him—to beg him to stay if she has to. She was trying to stop herself from saying it out loud and it's taking all of her restraint to do it. In her mind she was thinking how unfair it all was. She'd given him everything, but why does his wife get the best of him?

But she also knows she can't make him stay. She knows where she stands. She's not even sure if he'd stay if she asked him to.

He gave her a kiss before he left, and she almost didn't let him go. She had to mentally force herself to let go of him. She watched him walk towards the door, and every step he took felt like a stab in her heart and she wants to scream out his name and tell him to come back. To never leave. To stay. If he asked her to run away with him now and just disappear, she wouldn't hesitate. But she knows he's not going to do that so she stayed silent.

After he was gone, she lay back down on the bed feeling even more tired than she was several minutes ago. All the restraint she put on to not tell him to stay—all the effort she put in to make herself let go of him took a toll on her not only mentally, but physically as well.

She lay there awake, staring at the clock on the wall, waiting for the Sun to come up. Right now, she needs to rest. Later, when she goes back to her reality, she's going to need all her strength pretending in front of everyone especially to his wife. She tried to make herself fall asleep, but she failed. Just like how she thought he'd just up and leave once he knew all about her secrets—all her lies.

'

'

* * *

><p>'<p>

'

_**Meanwhile…**_

'

Randy was in his rental car, driving back to the hotel. It was still dark, and there were not that many vehicles on the road anymore. He's trying his best to concentrate on the road, but he keeps thinking about Ari. How she looked when he was getting ready to leave.

Even in her silence—when he wasn't even looking at her, he could somehow sense what she was thinking and it's giving him such a heavy feeling in his chest. He glanced at her when he was about to leave and she had a blank expression on her face. It made him not want to leave, but he knows he has no choice.

_Would you stay if she asked you to? What about Alanna?_

He heard himself ask as he pulled in his parking space at the hotel. He loves Ari, he knows that for sure. But he also loves Sam. And of course there's Alanna, his little angel. He'd never really thought of choosing between them. Between the woman he loves and the family he loves. Maybe he was being selfish thinking he doesn't have to give up either of them.

He brushed the thought off. He didn't even know why the thought of having to choose crossed his mind. It hurts just to think of it. After all he's been through with Arianne; it's just not that easy to let her go. He and Sam have had their share of problems, but what marriage doesn't? Besides, he can't risk losing Alanna in the process. She's the most precious thing he has and will ever have.

Sometimes he wished he had two hearts. He wished there were two of him, or he could split his body into two so he could be with both Ari and his family and doesn't ever have to make a choice.

He took a deep breath and got out of the car. When he got to their room, Sam was already sleeping, but she wasn't on their bed. She was sleeping with Alanna. He didn't wake her up anymore. He cleaned up in the bathroom a little, and changed into some clean clothes and went to sleep. It was going to be a big day tomorrow. It was Wrestlemania after all.

'

* * *

><p>'<p>

_**That afternoon…**_

'

"Daddy! Get up!" She said, "Get up, daddy." She was trying to pull him up by his arm with all her might but he wasn't even budging.

He opened his eyes slowly and saw her smiling at him. "Hey, little princess." He said, "Why don't you give daddy a kiss so I can get up."

She got up on the bed, by his shoulder and gave him a little kiss on the lips. He smiled and then sat up.

"All right, I'm up." He said, "Where's your mom?"

"I'm right here." Sam said, as she came out of the bathroom. "Must have been one hell of a party last night, huh? You seem really tired…and spent."

"Ahm…yeah, it was…" He said. He picked Alanna up as he stood up. _I should remember to ask someone if anything eventful happened. _He thought. "You're dressed up, are you going somewhere?"

"I'm going with you to the arena." She said, "Unless…you don't want me to come."

It was still too early to come to the arena, they probably haven't put the ring up yet and still setting up the cameras and other electronic equipment. If there was nothing important for them to do there prior to the show, they usually come in just a few hours from airing to study the script and gear up and there still five hours before opening bell.

"It's still early, Sam." He said, "I still have other stuff to do before going to the arena. I haven't even got breakfast yet."

"Randy, it's almost one in the afternoon." Sam said, "They don't serve breakfast past eleven, its lunch time."

"Well, lunch then." He said. He put Alanna down. "Anyway, I'll just pick you up or have someone to later. It's too early to go there. You'd just get bored."

"Fine." Sam said, "I have somewhere else to go to anyway." She stood up. "Let's go, Al. Let daddy go about his business."

'

* * *

><p>'<p>

'

"Just a minute!" Arianne said.

She was already in a hurry to dress up because she's supposed to have a meeting with the creative team in an hour at the arena, and she had just woken up a few minutes ago. She grabbed her robe and put it on for the mean time because she only had a bra and panty on since she was still putting her make up on when she answered the door.

"Randy!" She said, surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"You gonna let me in or what?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry." She stepped aside and let him in. "Why are you here? Someone might see you…"

"I…ah…just wanted to check up on you." He said. He dropped his gym bag on the floor and sat on the bed. "Make sure you're all right. You know, from last night."

"I'm fine." She said. "I can barely walk but, I'll live." She joked, trying to lighten up the mood because he looked so serious.

"That's not what I meant." He said, looking straight into her eyes.

"I know." She said. She sat beside him and took his hand. "I'm fine, really. Don't worry about me. I'm never happy when you're leaving, that's all it was."

"I'm never leaving you." He said.

He didn't even realize he said that until after he did. But he had no intention of taking it back. He meant it.

She smiled, and touched his face. "I know." She said, "I know."

She kissed him tenderly on the lips, and he returned that softly at first, growing more passionate by the second. He ran his hand on her thigh, slipping under her robe and maneuvering her to sit on top of him. Then he started to kiss her around her neck.

"Mm…Randy…we can't do this now." She said, reluctantly. "I have a meeting to go to in less than an hour."

"Just a few minutes…" He said, talking against her skin as he planted kisses on her chest. "That's all I need."

"Yeah, I can _feel_ that." She giggled. "But, NO. Randy, I need to go."

"Pffft…" He lay back on the bed in frustration, taking her down with her. "Fine…"

"Aww...my poor little horn dog." She laughed. "Don't worry; I'll make it up to you." She rubbed her nose against his, "I promise." She kissed the tip of his nose before she got off of him. "So, where're you supposed to be heading now?"

"Gym, then meet up with the boys before going to the arena, I guess." He said, putting his arms under his head so he can see her as she dresses up.

"Hmm…well you better get going then." She said, buttoning her shirt. "Wouldn't want to hold you up from your work out."

"But I like working out with you better." He grinned wickedly.

"Dude, seriously, I can barely walk." She said, "Do you want me to limp out of here or in a wheelchair maybe?"

He laughed soundly, "All right, all right! I'm gonna go." He stood up and grabbed his bag and walked towards the door. "I'll see you later?"

"Of course." She said.

"Oh, wait!" He walked back. "I forgot something."

"What?"

He just grabbed her and kissed her again. "That." he said after, smiling. "Now I can go."

Then he left and Arianne got back to getting ready. She was almost about ready to leave when somebody knocked on the door again. She thought it was Randy again, and she was shaking her head as she opened the door.

"Did you forget something again?" She said. But she was surprised to see that it wasn't him. "Sam! W-what are you doing here?"

She was with Alanna.

"We need to talk." She said, "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, come in." Ari said. "Sit down, please." She pulled a chair for Sam and she sat down. Alanna went to the bed, saw the remote and turned the TV on.

"So…what do we need to talk about?" She asked, hesitantly.

"I think you know." Sam said. "I know everything, Arianne."

Arianne couldn't move. She felt like she'd been dumped a bucket of ice cold water, and she couldn't even look at her. "How did you know?"

"It doesn't matter." She said, "But I have pictures and videos of you and my husband. So you can't deny it."

She immediately assumed that her brother had gotten to Sam. "I'm not going to." She said.

"How long has it been going on?"

"About nine months." She said. "I'm sorry, Sam…It just happened…We fell in love and…"

"I don't need your explanation." She said, "I don't need to hear any of this. What you need to do is listen to me. You know how this going to go down, don't you?"

Arianne didn't say anything, and Sam assumed that meant yes. And Arianne does know. She'd heard all about the repercussions of her affair with Randy. She heard it from Cody, she heard it from her friend Cat, and she heard it from John. And for the longest time, she and Randy never really cared. She supposed she never thought it would come to this, when it's right in front of her face.

For a moment both of them were silent. What was there left to say anyway?

"What do you want me to do?" Arianne asked.

"I don't need to tell you that." Sam said, as she stood up. "Al, come on, let's go."

Alanna got off the bed and went to Sam. "Are we going to daddy?"

"Yes, honey, we are." She picked her up, and then turned to Arianne. "If you love him…if you really love him…then you already know what you have to do."

Sam turned and walked out of the room, leaving Arianne to contemplate on her next move. For a moment she just sat there silently. Thoughts run through her head, like the time he told her he loved her—that he always have, when she least expected it, after such a long time of waiting. She knows he meant it. She remembered all of last night, and how tumultuous their relationship is. She wouldn't exchange that for anything, it was all worth it.

"_I'm never leaving you…" _His voice echoed in her psyche.

He didn't just imagine him saying that. He did say it. She knew he meant it too. She supposed it was going to have to come to this point sooner or later, and she knew that when it does, that they were going to have to make tough a decision.

She took her phone from her purse and made a call.

"Hello?" She said, "It's Ari. I need to talk to you. It's important."

'

* * *

><p>'<p>

'

**[A/N Listen to Run by Leona Lewis. You have to! Trust me. ;) ]**

**'**

_**Wrestlemania. Moments before Randy's match against Legacy.**_

'

Randy was getting ready in his dressing room. Sam said she was going to watch from the crowd and Alanna was at the hotel with her nanny. He got there about three hours ago and looked for Arianne, but she wasn't anywhere. He thought she must still be having her meeting with the creative team, but it was almost time for his match and he still hasn't seen her.

Suddenly someone knocked on his door. It was Arianne.

"Hey! Where have you been?" He took her hand and let her in. "I've been looking all over for you." He locked the door.

"I'm sorry, I…the meeting took longer than I expected." She said. She could barely look at him. "So ah…are you ready? You're match is up next."

She's trying to sound like her usual self, but for someone who knows her as well as Randy does, he noticed even the slightest little quirk and knew something was wrong.

"I am…" He said, "Ari…is there something wrong? Something you're not telling me?"

"Pshh! No, of course, not!" She said, "We've talked about that right? Complete disclosure! Everything's fine."

"Are you sure?" He said. It frustrates him to feel like she's not telling him everything. "You know you can tell me everything right?" He placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'm here for you…I'll support you no matter what."

She looked at him then, and realized he thought it was about work. She decided it was better he thought that. He took his hands off her shoulder and placed them around her waist and held him close.

"I'm all right." She said. "Everything will be fine."

Holding him close like that, hearing his heart beating in his chest, she just felt her resolve start to shake. So she closed her eyes, fearing if she didn't that her tears will just start to come out. Randy didn't understand the way she was acting. She was telling him everything was all right, yet the way she was holding him was telling him otherwise.

"Randy, you're due in ten minutes." Somebody knocked on the door.

"Yeah, all right." He said, "I'll be out in a few."

She let go of him, and slowly lifted her eyes up to his face, into his eyes—his crystal blue eyes.

"This is it, Randy." She said, "This is where it all kicks off. You're gonna be great…the greatest. They're going to love you…and they're going to scream out your name…and you're going to be amazing. I can already see it."

"It's all because of you." He said, cupping her face in his hands. "If you hadn't pushed for it…"

"No, baby…It's you." She said, "Everyone can see how good you are, how truly amazing you are…They all wanted to cheer for you, I just merely showed them the way. But you made it all possible…You always had it in you."

"Thank you." He said, "For believing in me…For always being beside me…Encouraging me."

She cupped his face in her hands. "It's my job!" She said, "Just always remember…Whatever happens, I'm always, always just right beside you. Even if you can't hear me, even if you can't see me…I'm always just behind you, cheering you on."

"Geez, babe…" He said, "Why you so serious?"

"I'm sorry." She laughed a little, despite the pain and the weight she was feeling in her heart. "I'm getting a little too over dramatic, aren't I?"

He kissed her forehead. "You know what? I think I'm going to bring back the pose. You know the one you like…Arms stretched out." He did the pose.

"That would be great." She smiled, "The fans are going to love it, I'm sure. And they're going to cheer you. And you deserve all of it, all the love and adoration of the fans."

"Randy, five minutes!" Someone knocked again.

"Okay!" He said, almost annoyed. "I gotta go Ari."

"Yeah…go!" She smiled. "Go get 'em Viper. Bring the house down."

"You got it!" He winked and walked towards the door. "Oh…almost forgot."

He walked back towards her and kissed her. She kissed him back with such passion that it almost surprised him, but he wasn't going to let go if she hadn't done so first.

He laughed, "My, that was something." He said, "You kiss me like you're never going to see me again. I'm just going out to wrestle, I'm not gonna die."

"No…You're not." She smiled. She could already feel her eyes getting warm as the tears start to form. "You're going to live forever…You're going to be a legend."

He smiled. "I love you." He said, "I'll see you later, all right?"

She didn't say anything back, and just smiled. She couldn't say it back. She couldn't answer him. If she tells him she loves him back, she knew the tears would fall. And if she tells him she'll see him later…she'd be lying.

She sat there in the locker room for a bit, until she heard his music start to play signaling for him to come to the ring. She heard the crowd erupt in exaltation and she couldn't be happier for him. But at the same time, she was crying for what she was about to do. She wiped her tears off, but they wouldn't relent.

"Ari?"

She looked up and saw Stephanie come in to the room.

"Steph…"

"I thought you'd be here." Stephanie said.

"Yeah…" She said, "I just had to see him one last time."

Stephanie sat beside her and took her hand. "Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked.

"It's the right thing to do." She said, "This type of controversy is going to have a huge effect. At least if I'm gone, there's no reason for anyone to bring it up to the media. It's better that I go now before it does...I don't want to drag him down with me. I need to do this…for him."

Stephanie nodded. "I understand." She said, "If you ever need anything, I'm here for you."

Arianne squeezed her hand. "Thank you." She said, "Thank you for all the chances and opportunities you gave me, for backing me up through everything. I'll never forget it."

They hugged, and Stephanie cried too. She was almost like an older sister to Arianne, not just professionally but personally as well. She was Arianne's biggest supporter and backer in the creative team.

"You're gonna be fine." She said, "You're a strong woman. Always remember that."

"I will." She said, wiping her tears off. "Just promise me…you'll continue to have trust in him. He's a great asset for the company."

"He is." Stephanie said, "Don't worry about him…he'll be fine. I promise."

"I gotta go." She picked up her bag. "I'm gonna be late for my flight."

"Take care, Arianne."

Arianne went out the door, and closed it behind her. She looked at the name inscribed on the door, and touched it. In her mind, she said goodbye to him. In her mind, she told him she loves him. And then she walked away, without looking back until she got out of the Arena, to a cab waiting for her.

She took one last look at the building, and suddenly heard the crowd inside break into an RKO chant, which made the tears come again. It was bittersweet. Parting always is such sweet sorrow.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hi, readers! I just want to thank everyone who has given their reviews recently. It's great to hear from you, and I truly appreciate you taking the time to comment. Thank you as well to those who comments every time I update. This is the second to last chapter, sadly and there is an Epilogue left to be posted (soon, I hope.) Oh, and the song I quoted is Broken by Lifehouse. Yes, I'm suggesting you listen to it while reading. A friend of mine said she cried while reading this chapter and hearing that song, and picturing Randy in the scene. (I did too) LOL Till next time!**

**Chapter 20**

"_The Broken clock is a comfort__  
><em>_It helps me sleep tonight__  
><em>_Maybe it can stop tomorrow__  
><em>_From stealing all my time…"_

'

_After the match…_

'

"Hey! Awesome match, man!" MVP said, as Randy entered the curtains backstage. "You bringin' the old pose back, huh?"

"Yeah…I think it's about time." Randy said.

"Crowd's eating it up. Good job."

"Thanks man." He said.

Everyone in the locker room was congratulating him for his match, and for the way the crowd had cheered him, especially when he did the pose. Even John had acknowledged it. There was almost like a party mood backstage, since it was also Shawn's last match. He decided to go to his dressing room to relax a bit before taking a shower and rejoining the others.

He sat in the locker and untied his boots, just loosening the strings and letting his legs breathe a little, and leaned back for a while. Then he stood up and took his towel to go to the shower room. But out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a piece of paper hanging out the pocket of his pants that was hanging on the wall. He took it out and read it. It was from Arianne.

_'_

_'_

_Randy,_

_When you get this, I'd be long gone. I love you so much it's killing me to do this, but you and I both know that this is for the best. You're the best thing that ever happened to me and you're the only thing that ever made sense in my life, and that's never going to change. The only thing that's right in everything that I've done. You're the closest thing I have to a home…you are my home._

_Please don't try to find me. I'm going somewhere where you can't. I'll be okay. At least I hope so. Maybe one day, in another lifetime, maybe we'd see each other again. Maybe then it won't be wrong._

_ Always, _

_Arianne_

'

_'_

For a minute he couldn't move, and didn't know how to react. He just stared at her letter in his hands. It's like the shock had rendered him speechless and frozen. He felt like the air was being sucked out of his lungs and he couldn't breathe. Her words started to blur as he looked at it because his tears were starting to form in his eyes.

* * *

><p>'<p>

"_And I am here still waiting__  
><em>_Though I still have my doubts__  
><em>_I am damaged at best__  
><em>_Like you've already figured out…"_

_'_

_April 3, 2010_

'

"No one's been there for a week." The woman, Arianne's neighbor, said. "She usually comes home every Tuesday. She hasn't come back since she left last Thursday night."

"Thank you…" Randy said.

Randy would've come looking for her sooner but he was tied up at home, because it was his birthday and he couldn't leave. They celebrated it even though he didn't exactly feel like celebrating. He went there hoping against hope to find Arianne there, even though at the back of his head, he knew she wasn't going to be there. After all, she said she was going somewhere he couldn't find her. He supposed she knew he was going to try to anyway. He had to. How could he not? It's like a big part of his heart was missing.

He even snuck out of the arena and drove to the hotel after he read her letter while everyone was watching Shawn and Mark's epic match, thinking he could catch her, but he was too late. She had already gone to the airport by the time he got there.

He walked back to the front of her door. He wanted to knock or even break it down, hoping she's inside, just hiding from him. He leaned on the door with his eyes closed, his forehead touching the warm wood. He doesn't know where else to look.

He had already called her friend Cat in New York, but she said Arianne wasn't there. He wouldn't have believed her if she hadn't reasoned that Arianne would've known he was going to look for her there, so she wouldn't come there.

He walked back to his car, got in and sat there for a while. He took a deep sigh and threw his head back in frustration. Or maybe it was despair. He had a lot of memories in that house.—the moments he's spent with her whenever he comes to visit. He could still vividly remember each and every one of those moments. He doesn't want to accept that it's how they're going to remain from now on—just memories. He can never have them again.

He took his wallet out of his pocket and pulled out the letter she left for him. He opened it and read it again like he's done so a hundred times. He read it over and over, but no matter how many times he reads them, the pain he feels still has the same intensity as the first time he did.

"One day…" He read out loud. "in another lifetime…maybe we'd see each other again."

He sighed and closed his eyes, as warm tears fell from them.

"Maybe…"

'

'

"_I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing__  
><em>_With a broken heart, that's still beating. __In the pain, there is healing  
><em>_In your name, I find meaning. So I'm holding on...I'm barely holding on to you..."_

_'_

* * *

><p><em>'<em>

_'_

April 10, 2010 JFK Airport

'

"Why do you have to leave the country?" Cat asked, "Do you even know anyone where you're going?"

She and Arianne are at the airport, waiting for her flight. Arianne went to Cat after she left Phoenix. She helped her with a few stuff, like liquidating her assets, closing her bank accounts and such. Maybe she was being paranoid, but she didn't want any more paper trails that could lead anyone to her—especially not Joseph.

"No, but that's the point." Arianne said, "I can start over with my life because no one knows me there."

"But Ari, you don't even speak French." Cat said.

Arianne smiled, "I can learn. I've always wanted to learn another language." She said, "Cat, don't worry about me. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can." Cat said, "But Ari…there's more than just yourself that you have to worry about now. How are you going to take care of all your needs and…"

"I have money. I saved enough." Arianne said, "Besides, there's a lot of ways to earn…I can write for a living for a while, over the internet…I'll do anything. I'll have to try, Cat."

"You're always so stubborn!" Cat said.

"I have to do this. For Randy, for me and…" She looked down. "I can't stay here when I know Joseph and whoever it is he's working with are going to do everything they can to get back at me…to get back at Randy. I can't let that happen. As long as I'm here, they're going to find me and they're going to use me to bring him down."

"I hope he knows what you're doing for him." Cat said.

"He does." Arianne said, "I know he does."

Then there was a call to board the plane.

"I have to go, Cat." She said, "Thank you for all your help."

Cat hugged her and she hugged her back. If there were any more tears left in her eyes, she would've cried. But there wasn't any left. Now is the time she has to start standing up on her own two feet and be strong. She told herself she needed to be strong, no matter what happens from here on in.

"Will I see you again?"

"I don't know." Arianne said, "Maybe…"

Somewhere in a motel in Connecticut

"What do you mean she's gone?" Richard yelled.

"W-we can't find her anywhere, boss." Mark said. "It's like she vanished into thin air."

"Don't give me that f**king excuse!" Richard slammed his hand down on the table. "You're both useless! None of your stupid plan worked! You're supposed to destroy Orton in the eyes of the public! And I'm supposed to have her in the end! Well, guess what? You failed! You both failed! And I wasted all that money for nothing!"

Joseph was laughing in the corner. Quietly at first, but getting louder and more annoying, especially for Richard.

"What the f**k are you laughing about?" He snapped.

"Well…you both are wishing for things you were never going to have anyway." Joseph said, "Mark, do you really think they're going to drop Orton because of this? He's one of their biggest stars; they're not just going to fire him. Besides, his family's rooted in the business…even if you bring him down, he'll get right back up. And they'll forget about all this shit! People love the fallen hero who made mistakes because it makes them more human! He made a mistake, he'll reform, and he'll recover from this." He said.

"And you…Richard Hammond…smart business man, but a stupid love sick idiot." He said, "Do you really think Arianne would come running into your arms after this? Even if this had been blown out of proportion and exploited by the media, she's not going to come to you!"

"There were always just two possibilities that could happen…either they were going to stick it out and let it all go down, or she's going to leave to save him." He stood up and stood by the window, "As you see, she chose to leave…which unfortunately for you means that she loves him…and you have no chance whatsoever. I mean, even if she, by some miracle, ends up in your hands…she's never going to love you."

"Well, if we failed then you failed too!" Mark said. "You either seem awfully happy about it or you're just nuts!"

Joseph laughed again. He'd been sitting in the dark corner all this time that it was the first time they saw how his eyes really looked like. They were red and dilated, and there were dark circles around them. He was obviously high.

"No stupid!" Joseph said, "I'm happy because out of the three of us, I'm the only one who got what I wanted!" He sat back down on the corner. "I had a feeling she was going to sacrifice herself when it all goes down…she loves him too much."

For a few seconds he almost felt sorry for Arianne. He knows her well, having grown up with her. He knows when she loves she gives her whole heart. No reservations. That's just how she is. He was once a recipient of that love. Suddenly, it all dawned on him. Arianne's gone. Nobody knows where she is. Suddenly, he felt all alone.

Maybe he shouldn't be so happy after all.

'

* * *

><p>'<p>

"_The broken locks were a warning__  
><em>_You got inside my head__  
><em>_I tried my best to be guarded__  
><em>_I'm an open book instead…"_

_'_

_A month after…_

'

WWE HQ Stamford, CT

'

"There you are!" Hunter said. "Here are the keys, man."

He was giving Randy the keys to his old tour bus that he bought from him. He left him in his office, but when he came back there Randy had wandered off. And now they were standing in front of Arianne's old office's door. He'd been standing there for a good five minutes.

He knows someone had already taken the office space, but he just can't help but remember when she used to be the one occupying that room. He can't help but remember her everywhere he went. And he'd been everywhere with her.

He supposed that was another reason why he wanted to have the bus. Much more than the convenience it provides, that way, he wouldn't have to be anywhere that would remind him of her. It's like everywhere he went, in every city, in every road, hotel, stops, and arenas, there were memories that creep in his head. At least he thought, with the bus, it would be easier for him to move on. But there are just some things he can't escape.

Stephanie had told Hunter all about what had happened, so he basically knew everything. He supposed he had always had a feeling in his gut that there was something between Arianne and Randy, every time he sees them together. Just the little actions, like the way they looked at, smile at and touched each other. Workplace romance was no unthreaded territory for him. He'd been there after all.

Besides, he knows Randy—the guy he'd sort of taken under his wing since Evolution. He'd basically grown up in front of his eyes. Randy had always been the silent type, so he learned to read his moods just by the way he acts.

"You okay, man?" He asked, putting a hand over his shoulder.

As if pulled out of a trance, Randy came back to reality—wishing he hadn't. "Yeah…" He said, but then retracted. "I don't know…I'm not really sure."

"I know you miss her." Hunter told him. "Steph told me everything."

Randy looked at him questioningly.

"Arianne told her." Hunter explained. "Don't worry. You can trust me about it. And anyway, it's over now. Only thing we can do is to move on from it."

"Easier said than done." Randy said.

"I know man. I know. But you got to try." Hunter said, "Come on. Let's take the bus for a test drive."

'

"_And I still see your reflection__  
><em>_Inside of my eyes__  
><em>_That are looking for purpose__  
><em>_They're still looking for life…"_

* * *

><p><em>'<em>

_'_

Years passed and everyone seemed to have moved on from it all.

Joseph died from a drug over dose due to depression a few months after Arianne had disappeared. No one ever visited his grave. Among his belongings, they found a letter confessing and apologizing about everything he did to his sister, naming all other parties concerned except Randy.

Richard Hammond went bankrupt three years later. He got into some illegal dealings and was arrested shortly after. He was to serve twenty years in prison but only served 5 because he was killed in jail.

Mark Alexander never had another job in the business. Unbeknownst to him he was black listed for his involvement in the plot against Arianne and Randy by Stephanie. He is now working in a donut shop down in New Jersey.

Randy continued to work with WWE until he retired from the ring. He and Sam made it work for as long as they could, but the issue never really died, and Sam filed for divorce almost ten years after the incident citing irreconcilable differences. Despite all of it, he was a good father to Alanna—their only child, and remained friends with Sam.

After a year and a half in retirement, WWE offered him a job as part of Talent Relations, delegated to search for the next WWE Superstars all over the world. John Cena got him to accept it.

Nobody ever heard from Arianne ever again.

'

* * *

><p>'<p>

_16 years after…_

'

STL Airport

'

"Remember, my graduation is next month. You have to be there!" Alanna said.

"I will be there." Randy said, "When did I ever break a promise to you?"

"Never." She smiled sweetly, and hugged him. "I love you, daddy."

He squeezed her a bit, in his arms. "I love you too, sweetheart."

"I wish you'd be here next week for mom's wedding too, though." Alanna said.

"Honey, I told you I can't." He said, "I have prior commitments for the company."

"I know, I know…I'm just saying." She said, "What about you, dad? When are you going to get married again? When are you gonna get a girlfriend?"

"What kind of question is that?" He said, jokingly, "Not exactly something you should be asking your dad, you know?"

"Maybe, but you've been single for a long time." She said, "I just want you to be happy too, daddy. I mean, mom's starting a new life with Derrick. I think it's time for you to start a new life too…you deserve it. Go out there and find it…find that one special person you deserve to have. That one who'll love you with everything they have."

"Al…Thank you." He said, "But you know, there are some things you don't look for…it just comes to you. Like love…you don't look for it, it just happens. When it does, there's no stopping it. That's when you know it's real."

'

**"CANADAIR FLIGHT 127 LEAVING FOR QUEBEC IS NOW BOARDING. PASSENGERS OF CANADAIR FLIGHT 127 LEAVING FOR QUEBEC, YOUR PLANE IS NOW BOARDING."**

'

"Well, that's my cue." Randy said, "I gotta go honey."

"Take care, dad." She hugged him. "I love you."

"I love you too." He said, "I'll see you next month."

Alanna watched him until he disappeared into the crowd. She never told him, but her uncle Cody had told her all about what happened when she was old enough, after the divorce. He made him understand that it wasn't because her dad didn't love her mom and her, it just happened.

Surprisingly, she didn't feel any anger towards her dad or for this woman who'd made the decision to leave to save him, and in effect her parents' marriage, at least for a time. He couldn't explain it, and she didn't understand how it could just happen, until she heard what Randy just told her.

As he was sitting in the plane, somewhere up in the clouds, Randy took his wallet out from his carryon luggage and pulled out an old piece of paper. He unfolded it slowly, carefully. It was almost torn into two because of how old it is, and because of how many times he'd opened it. It was Arianne's letter.

He read it again for perhaps the millionth time, and though the pain had subsided if by just a little, he can now look back at the memories she'd left with him—in his heart without tearing up.

He folded it again and placed it back in his wallet. He placed the wallet in the inside pocket of his jacket, near his heart, and closed his eyes.

"In another lifetime…" He whispered. "I'll see you again in another lifetime."

'

"_I'm hanging on another day__  
><em>_Just to see what, you will throw my way__  
><em>_And I'm hanging on, to the words you say__  
><em>_You said that I will, will be okay…"_


	21. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

__'

'

_**Somewhere in Quebec…**_

'

"Man, I'm telling you, you have to see this kid!" John said.

He picked up Randy at the airport that afternoon, and he was supposed to take him straight to their hotel, but he was so hyped up about this talent prospect he found, and he just had to show Randy.

"Man, I'm tired." Randy said, "I just got off an eight hour flight, can't we go tomorrow?"

"Nah, man! He has a match tonight and he's not even supposed to because he's not really part of the promotion." John said, "But the kid's a natural, and they gave him a trial on the spot and he got it, so this is basically his first match."

"Meaning he's green." Randy said, "John, we need guys with experience or at least a little bit. We take this kid and he ends up not having what it takes, we've already wasted a lot of money and effort. Like that asshole you found in Cleveland."

"No, dude! Trust me, this one's different!" John said, "He's got the size, he's got the looks, and he's a natural! Actually, he reminds me a lot of you."

John looked at the side mirror to see Randy roll his eyes. After all this time, he still has that competitiveness in him and didn't like being compared to anyone. John decided to play it up some more.

"I'm serious man." He said, "He reminds me a lot about you when we were still in OVW. You gotta admit you were still green then too, but you know, they thought you were a natural. That's what I see in this kid."

"Fine." Randy said, "I'm already here, it's not like I'm getting off this car in the middle of nowhere."

John laughed, "Good! Coz I will leave you in the middle of the road if you don't come." He said, "But no, seriously, man…kid really looks like you when you were younger. Even has your temper…except you're more of an asshole."

"What?" Randy snapped.

"I meant before!" John laughed, "You know, when you were younger. You were an asshole…admit it."

"Shut up and drive." Randy said.

'

When they got to the show, they went backstage and John introduced the kid to Randy. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the kid. He did look almost exactly like him when he was younger. The boy had the same eye color and hair as he does. He even knots his brows the same way he does when he frowns. He almost has the same built as well, just a little thinner, but then again, he's still young.

"Shocking, isn't it?" John said, "Now that you're in front of each other, I can see the resemblance better…man, this is uncanny! You're like two peas in a pod."

Randy couldn't understand it, but he felt something when he saw the boy. He couldn't explain it, but he took to the boy almost immediately.

"What's your name kid?" He asked.

"Brandon." The boy said, not batting an eyelash. "Sorry, but I have to go. My match is next. You're here to watch me fight, right?"

"Yeah." John said, "We'll just see you afterwards."

'

Brandon left them and went to the ring to have his match. John and Randy joined the crowd and watched his match from ringside. John was right about what he said, the boy was a natural. He's a little rough, but nothing that can't be polished with good supervision.

"What'd I tell ya?" John said, "He's good huh? Natural! A bit arrogant, but he's good."

They made a decision to offer the boy a developmental contract on the spot, and take him to the US. There's just one problem.

"I have to ask my mother." He said.

"Wh-what do you mean?" John said.

"I'm kind of…not of…legal age, yet." The boy said.

"That's right!" The promoter said, "Kid's persistent so I gave him a try out. But legally, he's not allowed to sign any contracts yet. He's underage…he's just tall."

He didn't know what it was but he felt something inside him jump again. "How old are you, kid?"

"Turning sixteen this January." Brandon said. "But I heard about your company a lot this past year, and really want to work for the WWE. It's been a dream of mine since I knew I want to do this. Please sir?"

"Where's your dad? Is he here?" Randy asked. "Maybe we can talk to him."

"I have no father…Well, I never met him." Brandon looked down a bit when he said it. "And my mother would probably not approve…She doesn't even know I'm here."

"Well, maybe we can talk to your mom." John said, "We can be pretty convincing, you know? I'm sure your mom has heard of me."

"Why? Who are you?" Brandon asked, innocuously.

"Are you serious?" John asked, rather shocked that the boy has never heard of him.

Randy snorted, trying to stifle his laughter. "You know what? Never mind, just ah… take us to your mom, and we'll do the convincing."

"All right." Brandon said, "Good luck to us! I can guarantee you've never met a more stubborn woman than my mother."

'

During the ride to Brandon's house, John asked him a few stuff—details about himself, how he got interested in wrestling and the likes.

Brandon told them it just felt natural. He saw his first wrestling match a year ago in his friend's house, and they went to that little promotion downtown to see one live and figured he could do it. The promoter won't let him wrestle though because of his age. But due to his insistence, he finally got his try out the other day, and luckily for him, John was there to witness it.

They pulled in a drive way of a pretty little house a little over six in the evening. It was warm and welcoming from the outside and seems to be well taken care of. Randy saw there was a light coming from one of the rooms upstairs, before Brandon let them inside. The interior was as warm and welcoming as it was outside.

"Mom? I'm home!" Brandon said, "Stay here, I'll call her."

He took their coats and hanged them in the coat hanger and then he ran upstairs. Randy smirked. He's still just a kid after all, he thought.

"Mom? Are you in the attic?" Brandon called out. "I've got company. They want to talk to you. Can you come down for a minute?"

"I'll be there in a sec, honey." A faint voice said.

Brandon came back downstairs, "She'll be down in a sec." Brandon said, "She's up in the attic, writing. It's her profession. She's really good too! She's published over fifteen books, but she uses a pseudonym."

"Really?" John said, "What's her name? Maybe we've heard of her?"

"Andy, whose car was that outside?" His mom said as she came down the stairs.

_**(Listen to Feels Like Home, by Chantal Kreviazuk as you read this part. It'll be worth it!)**_

And then she saw them. She saw him—Randy. She couldn't believe her eyes. It's like everything stood still, except for her heart that was suddenly beating at three hundred miles per hour. But it wasn't only her who felt that way.

"Arianne?" Randy said, as he stood up from the couch.

When she heard him say her name, it sounded so familiar that she almost felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest. She was at once filled with emotions and didn't know where to begin. She couldn't move, she couldn't even think.

John recognized her too and couldn't believe it. Who would've thought Randy and Arianne would find each other again after such a long time? And since he knew for a fact how Randy still feels about her, he felt glad for his best friend.

"Hey, kid." John called Brandon, who looked confused with how his mother and this guy he just met were acting upon seeing each other. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

"D-do they like, know each other or something?" Brandon asked John.

He put his arms around the boys shoulder and ushered him towards the door. "Yeah, they do." He said, "They know each other very well."

'

After the two had gotten out of the house, Randy slowly approached Arianne, who was still standing on the stairs, with her hands over her mouth and over her heart. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at her. He felt like his heart was going to burst out, and he just want to reach for her and hold her in his arms.

She stepped down, stopping one step above ground and looked at him, straight in his eyes. His eyes she never thought she'd ever see again. His beautiful crystal blue eyes that were looking at her so tenderly, so lovingly right at that moment.

"Randy…" She whispered, as she reached for him, touching his face.

Her hand is as warm and as soft as he remembered them, and it felt good on his skin. He closed his eyes and prayed that this was real.—That she won't disappear when he opens his eyes. He prayed to God that this wasn't just another one of his dreams. And then slowly, he opened his eyes again. And she was still there, with tears falling from her eyes. He could still feel her hands on his cheek.

"It's really you…" Arianne said when she realized that he's real too. "Oh, God…"

That's when he reached for her, and kissed her. He kissed her with all the love and passion he always had for her. She kissed him back and let herself fall onto his arms and lose herself.

At that moment, there were no words enough to describe how happy they both were to be in each other's arms once again. They simply don't need words. They just let their hearts communicate.

He carried her towards the couch and they just sat there, holding each other like they never want to let go. It's amazing how much they understood what each other had gone through without a word uttered.

'

* * *

><p>'<p>

'

_**An hour later…**_

'

Randy, Arianne, their son Brandon, and John were at the dining room. John had told Brandon all about what happened, and how Randy had been since his mom disappeared all those years ago, during their walk. Now he knows why he has such an affinity to the sport. It's in his blood. When they came back to the house he just ran towards Randy and hugged him, and Arianne couldn't be happier.

Randy and Arianne sat close to each other while they were eating, and Brandon and John just couldn't stop laughing at them for being so mushy. He'd never seen his mom as happy as she was at that moment.

"So ah…mom, did dad tell you what they've come to talk to you about?" Brandon asked.

"Yes." Arianne said, "And the answer is no."

"But, mom! This is a big chance!" Brandon protested.

"No, I want you to finish school first…" She said, "Finish College too, so you'd have something to fall back on."

"Dad, I thought you were gonna convince her?" Brandon teased.

Arianne shot Randy a look. He knows what that look meant so well.

"You should ah…listen to your mom." He said, trying to stifle his smile. "She knows what she's saying."

Arianne smiled, "Good advice." She told him.

'

After dinner, Arianne told John and Randy to stay there for the night. John stayed at the guest room, and Randy stayed in Arianne's room. They have a lot catching up to do after all. They stayed up all night on the bed, watching videos and pictures of Brandon as a he was growing up.

In all the pictures she'd shown him, there was only the two of them—Ari and Andy (That's what she calls Brandon). He figured she never have been with another man after him. He realized how lonely and hard her life must've been, with no one to help her. Right then he made a vow to never ever leave her side…or let her leave again.

"This was when he graduated in grade school…" Her voice trailed when she noticed he was looking at her. "What's wrong?"

He smiled, "Nothing." he said, "I just…I'm so happy that you're here with me now, I can't even begin to describe it…I missed you so much."

She touched his face. "I feel the same way." She said, "Randy…I love you so much."

"I know." He said, wrapping his arms around her. "I love you too…I just have to ask…Why did you chose to come here to Canada?"

She smiled, "Because I know you don't like it here…it's the last place you're gonna look for me."

Randy laughed, "You know me so well, don't you?" He lay down on the bed, "Come here…" He pulled at her arm gently. "You remember what you said in that letter you left me, before you…disappeared?"

"Hmm…No…What did I say?" She asked.

She closed the album and placed it on the side table before she snuggled with him under the covers. He let her slip in to that nook between his arm and torso, and snuggled with her.

"You said that I was your home." He said, "I want to be that again for you and for Andy. I have a lot to make up to the both of you."

"Well…now you have a whole lifetime to do that." She said, wrapping her arms around him and closed her eyes.

"Yeah…a whole lifetime with you…" He whispered to her.

* * *

><p><em>"Maybe one day, in another lifetime, maybe we'd see each other again. Maybe then it won't be wrong."<em>

**_~FIN~_**

**_'_**

**A/N: Well, this is the end. Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Also, I'm planning to write a SEQUEL to this story so I hope you hit subscribe to author. LOL I don't know when I'll start writing that though. But for the meantime, I am going to start posting a sort of PREQUEL to this one first. Thanks again everyone! And please don't forget to review/comment!**


End file.
